Study: Half of Nation’s Poor Don’t Get Food Stamps

uesday, August 14, 2007 by McClatchy Newspapers | Study: Half of Nation’s Poor Don’t Get Food Stamps | by Rob Hotakainen

WASHINGTON - Half of the nation’s eligible poor aren’t getting the food stamps to which they’re entitled, a study released Tuesday found.

The District of Columbia had the highest participation rate in 2004, at 71.8 percent, while Missouri ranked first among the 50 states in getting food stamps to its low-income residents. Nevada ranked last among states, with 32 percent of its eligible residents getting food stamps.

Overall, 50.2 percent of the nation’s qualified poor received food stamps in 2004, according to the study by the National Priorities Project, a nonprofit and nonpartisan research group that examines the local impact of federal budget policies.

“We’ve got over 35 million people in this country struggling to get enough food to eat, and 50 percent of all low-income people are not receiving the benefit that is intended to alleviate this food insecurity,” said Greg Speeter, the project’s executive director. “While the food-stamp program provides a vital service, clearly too many people are still going without.” ...
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Under the food-stamp program, a family is eligible for aid if its income is 130 percent of the poverty level. ...