The SNAP Gap: Benefits Aren't Enough To Keep Many Recipients Fed

Source: http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/03/03/468955099/the-snap-gap-benefits-arent-enough-to-keep-many-recipients-fed?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=thesalt

Nearly one-third of households on SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, still have to visit a food pantry to keep themselves fed, according to USDA data.

Nearly one-third of households on SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, still have to visit a food pantry to keep themselves fed, according to USDA data.

Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Nearly one-third of households on SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, still have to visit a food pantry to keep themselves fed, according to data highlighted this week by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

In 2014, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program supported 23 million American households. The same year, 32 percent of all households who received SNAP in the previous 30 days reported they had visited a food pantry, the USDA says. And 23 percent of households using the Women, Infants and Children program visited a pantry that year, as had 23 percent of households receiving free or reduced-price school lunch.

“Generally, we believe that people aren’t going to go to pantries if they d…

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