Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2009
| Subscribe to Newser's RSS feeds RSS | Follow Newser on Twitter Twitter

NEWS ABOUT: food stamps

food stamps stories: 16 news summaries

Half of US Kids Will Get Food Stamps at Some Point

Figure hits 90% for black children, study finds

Nov 2, 09 9:29 PM CST
(AP) - Nearly half of all US children and 90% of black youngsters will be on food stamps at some point during childhood, and fallout from the current recession could push those numbers even higher, researchers say. The estimate comes from an analysis of 30 years of national data, and bolsters other... More »

MORE ABOUT:
African Americans • children • recession • poverty • children's health care • food stamps • financial crisis • women's issues

 Food Stamps Make You Fatter 

Limited budget may promote unhealthy choices

Aug 12, 09 2:40 PM CDT
(Newser) - Barack Obama might like to think that the down-and-out are using food stamps to buy arugala at Whole Foods, but as Science Daily reports, people tend to gain weight on food stamps. The average benefit of $81 a month doesn't go a long way toward nutritious foods, researchers suggest in... More »

MORE ABOUT:
obesity • poverty • healthy eating • food stamps • public assistance • grocery shopping

Record 34M Americans Use Food Stamps

About 600K people
a month have been added recently

Jul 8, 09 5:35 PM CDT
(Newser) - The number of people receiving food stamps surged by 1.2 million people in March and April to a record 33.8 million Americans, Reuters reports. Roughly one in nine US citizens were enrolled in the program in April, the most recent stats available. That marks five straight months of... More »

MORE ABOUT:
food stamps

Food-Stamp Funding Boost Gives Economy Quick Lift

Money gets spent fast; $5 in stamps yields $9.20 in activity

Jul 7, 09 11:07 AM CDT
(Newser) - The boost in food-stamp funding included in President Obama’s stimulus bill is pumping cash into the economy, the Wall Street Journal reports. In April, families of four on food stamps started getting about an extra $80 a month. Every $5 spent in food-stamp money means a quick $9.20... More »

MORE ABOUT:
welfare • economic stimulus package • food stamps • President Obama • stimulus funds

 Welfare Rolls Soar 
 Along With Unemployment 

Many make shift as jobless benefits run out

Jun 22, 09 7:48 AM CDT
(Newser) - Welfare rolls are on the rise nationwide for the first time since President Clinton signed a bill overhauling the system in 1996, the Wall Street Journal reports. Welfare recipients’ ranks fell in some areas at the beginning of the recession, but now 23 of the 30 biggest US states are... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Bill Clinton • Clinton administration • unemployment • jobless claims • unemployment benefits • welfare • food stamps • public assistance • jobless • welfare reform

(Newser) - Hobbled by the recession, millions of Americans are struggling to navigate benefit programs that dispense aid in often arbitrary and frustrating ways, the New York Times reports. In many cases, it's all about geography. Need food stamps? It's better to live in Missouri than California. Unemployment? The lucky live in... More »

MORE ABOUT:
US states • unemployment benefits • benefits • food stamps

(Newser) - More than 32 million people in the US are now receiving food stamps—a full tenth of the population, Reuters reports. The record enrollment in January marks the third time in 5 months the total has increased. Numbers rose in all but four states. Recipients got an average of $112.... More »

MORE ABOUT:
United States • unemployment • poverty • economic stimulus package • food stamps • public assistance


 Child Services Probed 
 Octuplet Mom 

Police have visited home eight times; family plans to move

Mar 3, 09 7:38 AM CST
(Newser) - A pre-octuplets Nadya Suleman was investigated by LA’s Department of Children and Family Services, TMZ reports—and cops have been called to her last two homes eight times for reasons ranging from a missing child to a feared break-in. DCFS visited the home in July after a neighbor complained... More »

MORE ABOUT:
investigation • police • children • multiple births • food stamps • social work • octuplets • Nadya Suleman

 Stimulus to Bulk Up 
 Food Stamps 

Caseloads up dramatically; bill to offer $16B to $20B in support

Feb 10, 09 8:05 AM CST
(Newser) - The stimulus package set to pass Congress contains a measure to boost food stamp benefits by billions of dollars, reports NPR. The $16 billion to $20 billion increase—which would mean up to $79 more a month for a family of four—is a response to a drastic rise in... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Tom Vilsack • welfare • economic stimulus package • food stamps • financial crisis • recession depression

Feds May Use Food Stamps
to Improve Nutrition

Food stamp and school lunch programs could be revamped to encourage nutrition

Dec 24, 08 1:57 PM CST
(Newser) - The Obama White House may move to revamp food aid so it encourages healthy eating, reports the Washington Post. One idea gaining favor: Double the value of food stamps if they're used to buy fruits and vegetables. While anti-hunger advocates have long objected to such government meddling, opposition is softening... More »

MORE ABOUT:
nutrition • Tom Vilsack • school lunch • Tom Harkin • Department of Agriculture • food stamps • President Obama

Food Stamp
Use Nears
Record High

Rising unemployment set to push benefit numbers past 30M

Nov 26, 08 6:05 AM CST
(Newser) - Rising unemployment is expected to push the number of Americans on food stamps to an all-time high of more than 30 million this month, the Washington Post reports. Food pantries say they are also experiencing a surge in demand and a hunger hotline in Washington DC says its calls have... More »

MORE ABOUT:
hunger • poverty • Federal aid • food banks • economic stimulus package • food stamps

Struggling College Students Turn to Food Banks

Soaring cost of staples drive students to charity pantries

Jul 26, 08 6:35 AM CDT
(Newser) - With some groceries costing 30% more this year, food banks have surprising new customers: college students. About 150 visit a Seattle food pantry each week, up 25% from last year, while a Denver college food program has seen its numbers double. "With things the way they are, a lot... More »

MORE ABOUT:
college • food prices • food banks • college costs • food stamps

Congressional Screwup May Force Farm Bill Do-Over

Pages missing from bill sent to Bush

May 22, 08 10:11 AM CDT
(Newser) - A paper-shuffling error may force Congress to repeat its work on the $289-billion farm bill already passed—and vetoed by President Bush. The version of the bill sent to the president was missing a section, Reuters reports. That makes the president’s veto theoretically invalid. House Democrats tried to re-insert... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Congress • Senate • House of Representatives • farm bill • veto override • presidential veto • food stamps

House Overrides Farm Bill Veto; Senate to Follow

Bush says $300B measure too wasteful

May 21, 08 7:50 PM CDT
(Newser) - The House today overrode President Bush's veto of the $307 billion farm bill, and the Senate is expected to follow suit tomorrow morning, the Washington Post reports. Bush issued the 10th veto of his presidency this afternoon, complaining that the wide-ranging measure gives too much money to rich farmers and... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Congress • farming • Senate • House of Representatives • farm bill • food stamps

House Passes Farm Bill
With Veto-Proof Margin

It now goes to Senate and is expected to become law

May 14, 08 5:12 PM CDT
(Newser) - The House today passed a $300 billion farm bill by a lopsided vote of 318-106, more than enough to override a threatened veto from President Bush, the New York Times reports. The measure now goes to the Senate, where it is expected to pass with even stronger support. Bush has... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Congress • farms • farm bill • food stamps

Record 28 Million Americans to Get Food Stamps

Slip into poverty a grim economic indicator

Mar 31, 08 4:20 AM CDT
(Newser) - In an economic indicator that paints a grim future for swaths of the US population, an all-time record 28 million Americans are expected to be close enough to poverty to receive $36 billion in food stamps in the coming fiscal year, reports the New York Times. There is a surge... More »

MORE ABOUT:
layoffs • entitlement programs • recession • unemployment • Congressional Budget Office • poverty • gas prices • food prices • economy • food stamps • Economic Policy Institute

16 Stories


from our news partners