Food stamp cuts look inevitable, advocates and Democrats fear, By Stephen Koff, December 2, 2012, Cleveland Plain Dealer: “Charity food pantries and several Democrats in Congress fear the federal nutrition program popularly known as food stamps will be cut as Washington pares federal spending to avert a year-end fiscal crisis. That could mean millions more Americans would live with less on their plates. But some Republicans say that with the nation trillions of dollars in debt, something has to give, and they suggest the $75.7 billion food stamp program could use a diet. Food stamps benefited more than 47 million Americans at some point last year, with 1.7 million recipients in Ohio. Even if spending is not cut before New Year’s Eve, the program will be under tremendous budget pressure at the start of 2013. Food stamps are considered an entitlement, which means that anyone who qualifies can get them. The only way for Congress to cut them is to restrict the eligibility rules or the formulas for determining benefits…”
Poverty-related issues in the news, from the Institute for Research on Poverty