Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

Feds crack down on FoodShare fraud on social media websites, By Jason Stein, December 6, 2011, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: “Federal officials unveiled new rules Tuesday to crack down on fraud in public food benefits, including targeting illegal sales on social media sites and investigating recipients who report their cards lost repeatedly. The Journal Sentinel reported in June that area residents had offered to buy and sell benefits on sites such as Facebook. A state official also said Tuesday that one Wisconsin resident has already been disqualified from the state’s food assistance program for using social media to sell benefits. A U.S. Department of Agriculture official said Tuesday that his agency was taking action after Internet trafficking of food assistance benefits had been highlighted by both the media and state officials around the country…”
Food stamp use on the rise, By Phil Izzo, December 6, 2011, Wall Street Journal: “Food-stamp use jumped in the U.S. in September as 11 states tapped into the program for disaster assistance. Food stamp rolls have risen 7.8% in the past year, the Department of Agriculture reported, though the pace of growth has slowed from the depths of the recession…”