Re: [Pen-l] 31 million on food stamps

[joel blau <jblau@xxxxxxxxx>]

The U.S. Department of Agriculture did an analysis (2001) of the 
1994-2000 decline in food stamp participation (from 28 million to 17) 
and broke it down this way: 44% occurred because fewer people were 
eligible; 35 % due to rising income and assets; and the remainder due to 
tightened eligibility rules and confusion in the wake of TANF's  
implementation, leading to unjustified denials of some applications 
(Yes, I agree there is some bleeding between categories).

The rise of 17 million to 31 million suggests that in the aftermath of 
TANF, food stamps may still be "welfare," but they are more narrowly 
targeted to prevent hunger, so there is less risk the aid will be 
misspent. It's the difference, writ large, between giving a homeless man 
five bucks & buying him a sandwich....

Joel Blau

Jim Devine wrote:
> Carl Dassbach wrote:
>   
> > IMHO, official statistics on food stamps vastly understate the nature of the
> > problem (as do official statistics on poverty) for at least two reason: 1)
> > there are substantial hurdles imposed by the government to getting food
> > stamps or other forms of aid  and many people, although in need, can't
> > surmount them and 2) good ole American rugged "individualism" - "I ain't
> > goin' to take no charity, no matter what."
> >     
>
> these two factors are important. But have they gotten stronger or
> weaker in recent years? if not, then the increase in the demand for
> food stamps says a lot.
>   


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