One in ten Americans collecting 'food stamps'

by Caroline Hedley for The Guardian

A record 32.2 million people took advantage of the US welfare initiative that allows low-income individuals to exchange "stamps" for groceries in January, according to a United States government report.

The average recipient was given $112.82 (£77) per month to spend through the recently-renamed 'Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program', or 'SNAP'.

The figures show an increase of over 4.3 million claimants in just ten months, and mark the third time in five months that enrolment has set a new record.

Many Americans have turned to food stamps as a direct result of the economic crisis, which saw national unemployment levels soar to 8.1 per cent in February – the highest in 25 years. The figure was just 4.8 per cent in the same month in 2008, and it is estimated that some 4.4 million jobs have been lost since the start of the recession in December 2007.

Enrolment in the food stamps programme rose in all but four of the 50 states, according to statistics released by the US Department of Agriculture. Significant increases were recorded in Vermont, Alaska, South Dakota, California and New York.

"A weakened economy means that many more individuals are turning to SNAP/Food Stamps," a spokesman for the anti-hunger group Food Research and Action Centre, said.

President Obama has approved a temporary 13 per cent increase in food stamp benefits, beginning this month, as part of his government's economic stimulus plan.