California still second to last in food stamp participation, federal officials report, By Alexandra Zavis, February 2, 2011, Los Angeles Times: “Just half the eligible Californians were receiving food stamps in 2008, a slight improvement over previous years but well below the national average of 66%, according to federal estimates released Wednesday. California officials dispute the way the figures are calculated and say they are outdated. “The information is based on 2008 data which is three years old, and it doesn’t reflect the impact of some of the recent program changes that were made to increase the access of needy eligible families and adults,’ said Maricela Rodriguez, spokeswoman for the California Department of Social Services. More than 3.5 million Californians received the nutrition benefit in October, the most recent month for which state figures are available. That is nearly 46% more than in October 2008. But the number of people who qualify for the benefit has also increased and it is unclear whether enrollment has kept pace with that growth…”
Poverty-related issues in the news, from the Institute for Research on Poverty