Food Stamp Beneficiaries Exceed 45 Million for 51 Straight Months

[Geee]

Free Beacon:

The number of individuals receiving benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), otherwise known as food stamps, has exceeded 45 million for 51 straight months, according to data released by the Department of Agriculture (USDA).

 

There were 45,480,644 beneficiaries of the food stamp program In July 2015, the latest month for which data is available. The number declined by 29,507 from June to July.

 

The USDA has been tracking data on SNAP participation since fiscal year 1969, at which time average participation stood at about 2,800,000. This means that since then, participation in the program has increased 16-fold.

 

Casey Mulligan, an economics professor at the University of Chicago, says that program eligibility rules have become more generous since 2007 and are largely responsible for the increase in participation.

 

Changes to food stamp policies made it easier for people to apply for benefits, made food stamps available to more people and the benefits became more generous, according to the USDA.

[NowhereMan1966]

I can understand the need for food stamps in this economy but it should not be this way, we need to foster an environment to bring jobs back and to grow new ones. Many people do not make enough, sometimes their own fault, other times not and many in between, but there are many others who just say "fudge it" and go on welfare. This is wrong but I do understand on a human level where if one kept trying and losing, that is demotivational. We need to quit, as a nation, on having a demotivational environment or this will not last.