US Department of Agriculture Reports that participation in the Food Stamp program has taken a dive to the lowest levels in 7 years according to a new report.
USDA Statistics on SNAP[Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program] participation showed that 42,609,852 people in the U.S took part in the Food Program in the fiscal year 2017, the lowest its been since 2010 when 40,302,000 people were enrolled in the Program.
You can See the full 2017 report here.
Food Stamp Usage has been on a steady decline since 2013 when enrollment had swelled up to over 47 million, the highest it has ever been since the program’s Inception.
President Donald Trump Criticized Obama At the Time.
Enrollment in benefits increased by 70 percent from the year former President Barack Obama took office in 2008 to 2013 and can be attributed to the Obama Administrations effort to allow those with high incomes to receive benefits.
Obama signed an $8.7 billion food stamp cut into law as a way to placate House Republicans in early 2014 after they pushed for deeper cuts to the program throughout 2013.
Individual states such as Maine also began the process of implementing or reinstating work requirements to participate in the food stamp program that many states delayed putting in place because of the recession.
Georgia made headlines when thousands dropped off the state’s food stamp rolls after the state gradually rolled out food stamp work requirements starting in 2016. Other states such as Alabama soon followed, and more states are starting to find ways to decrease food stamp enrollment and increase employment.
At the federal level, lawmakers are working on legislation to take food stamp work requirements nationwide and reinstate time limits on how long recipients can receive benefits.
Should President Donald Trump END the Food Stamp Program or Just Dramatically cut funds from it?
(via: Liberty Writers)
