Michigan, Pennsylvania put limits on families seeking food aid, By Kathy Barks Hoffman (AP), February 9, 2012, Chattanooga Times Free Press: “The 2010 Buick Enclave parked in her garage kept Michigan resident Renee Moore from getting food stamps for two months last year, even though her family’s income had dropped to below the poverty level, her husband’s Ford Explorer had 300,000 miles on it and her family had less than $1,000 in the bank. The reason? In the eyes of the state, she owned too much. Unlike other states that moved away from setting limits on what families like the Moores can own before they qualify for help, Michigan last year made it harder for thousands of residents to become eligible for food stamps by adopting new limits on what people can own. Pennsylvania also is toughening its so-called asset test, adding new restrictions on who gets government help. The move to redefine who’s truly needy comes after cash-strapped states saw a surge of applications for food stamp aid during the economic downturn. Still, leaders maintain the assistance needs to be targeted to those who need it most…”
Poverty-related issues in the news, from the Institute for Research on Poverty