Food stamps use soars by 1.2 million
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WASHINGTON - Enrollment in food stamps, the major US antihunger program, grew by 1.2 million people in two months and stands at a record 33.8 million people, the government said yesterday.
Food stamps helped 1 in 9 Americans buy groceries during April, according to Agriculture Department figures. The average benefit of $133.28 per person was up $40 because of a short-term increase under the economic stimulus package.
Participation in food stamps grew by roughly 600,000 people, or 2 percent, in both March and April, the latest months for which figures were available. April was the fifth month in a row of record enrollment.
The US unemployment rate is 9.5 percent, highest in 26 years, with further job losses expected. Food stamps cushion the impact of economic recession.
Many low-income families face an additional food challenge during the summer because most schools close their free lunch and breakfast programs.
“For every six low-income kids, only one gets a meal during the summer,’’ said Jim Weill of the antihunger group Food Research and Action Center. “It can be, even in good economic times, hugely difficult to maintain a decent diet for their kids.’’
According to the antihunger group, summer food programs in 2008 reached 17 percent of low-income children who received free meals at school. The group said more children would be reached if the government had higher reimbursement rates, helped pay for transportation, and provided start-up and expansion grants.
