Food stamp fraud and errors are at historic low, while need is high, USDA report shows, By Stephen Koff, January 3, 2014, Cleveland Plain Dealer: “With the congressional food fight over benefits for the poor about to resume, the federal government quietly released a report on New Year’s Eve that suggests there is still a high need for food stamps. The statistical report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, or USDA, also shows that despite partisan rhetoric about food stamp fraud and abuse, a record low rate of food stamps are given out in error – 3.42 percent in 2012 when all errors were accounted for. But only 2.77 percent of errors involved overpayment, including fraudulent applications for benefits that were approved and subsequently caught. The rest – 0.65 percent – occurred in cases where the government gave fewer benefits, not more, than the recipient was entitled to…”
Could your family live on $1.40 per meal?, By Luisa Deprez and Sandy Butler, December 27, 2013, Bangor Daily News: “In November, Maine lost $26 million in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, formerly known as food stamps. The cut, which comes because of the end of the stimulus’s temporary financial boost, affects 251,000 individuals — about 19 percent of the state’s population. That’s about one in five of our neighbors. While this loss hits individuals and families the hardest, the state suffers as well: Every $1 of SNAP benefits equates to $1.70 of economic activity. As harsh as this cut was, much larger cuts threaten this vital program as Congress finishes its work on the Farm Bill. The House has proposed slashing $40 billion from the program and the Senate $4 billion, a smaller but still devastating amount…”
Demand for food stamps soars as cuts sink in and shelves empty, By Karen McVeigh, December 23, 2013, The Guardian: “For Denise Acosta, it was being laid off for the first time. For Diana Martinez, it was the death of her mother, leaving her as the sole carer for her severely disabled younger brother. For Johnny Hill, it was having to take responsibility, a year away from retirement, for her two young granddaughters. Each of these hard-working women from San Antonio, Texas, have fallen victim to circumstances that turned their lives upside down, robbing them of their full-time jobs, the paychecks they once enjoyed and, in Acosta’s case, her home. Their stories vary, but they all belong to a growing group, America’s working poor, for whom the journey from getting by to hunger can be brutally short…”
Food stamps need increases, but donations have declined, By Mike Wiser, January 6, 2014, The Gazette: “Steve Mohling was going over a shopping list in his head as he pushed a cart packed with eight gallons of milk through the aisles of the Northeast Iowa Food Bank in Waterloo. The 45,359-square-foot facility is the newest addition to the state’s network of food banks. It’ll serve an estimated 40,000 people in a 16-county area each year. But the Northeast Iowa Food Bank — as with the entire network — is under pressure from rising client base that’s only expected to grow when Congress returns from its winter break and likely cuts food aid in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, in the farm bill by $8 billion…”
Hunger, homelessness on rise in city, report says, By Alfred Lubrano, December 13, 2013, Philadelphia Inquirer: “The number of people needing emergency food from pantries in Philadelphia increased 7 percent over the last year, according to a national report on hunger and homelessness released Wednesday. ‘This means we’re in worse shape than ever,’ said Steveanna Wynn, executive director of SHARE Food Program, which supplies food to 500 pantries in the city. Wynn provided the research about hunger in Philadelphia for the report, compiled by the U.S. Conference of Mayors, which sent out surveys to 25 cities of various sizes across the country…”
Advocates and mayors in Cleveland and nationwide expect continuing challenges with hunger and homelessness, By Stephen Koff, December 11, 2013, Cleveland Plain Dealer: “The economy’s slow, uneven recovery has strained homeless shelters and food pantries in Cleveland and other cities, where demand often outpaces supply, according to a new report from mayors and advocates for the poor across the country. The U.S Conference of Mayors is pessimistic that things will improve in 2014. Mayors and anti-hunger advocates say that cuts to the federal program that helps poor families buy groceries will push more people to emergency pantries…”
Homelessness, hunger climbing in U.S. cities, mayors’ survey says, By Matt Pearce, December 11, 2013, Los Angeles Times: “Although the jobless rate is at its lowest level in five years and the stock market has surpassed its pre-recession high, the economic gains have not reached many poor urban residents, and 2014 could be even worse, a new survey said Wednesday. Homelessness and hunger have increased and are expected to keep rising in many cities next year, according to the latest U.S. Conference of Mayors survey of 25 large and midsized metro areas…”
Hunger spreading in Detroit suburbs, By Charles E. Ramirez, December 16, 2013, Detroit News: “At a time of year when Metro Detroiters are preparing for the holidays, a large number of people are struggling just to put meals on the table or keep a roof over their head. Food banks say while the problem isn’t new, they’re seeing more hunger and hardship in the suburbs…”
USDA: Many Americans struggling to find enough to eat, By Christopher Doering, September 5, 2013, USA Today: “Americans are having a hard time getting enough food as the economic downturn continues to weigh on households throughout the country, according to a report released by the Agriculture Department Wednesday. The report said 14.5% of households, or about 49 million people in 17.6 million households, were food insecure during 2012. While the figure was down slightly from 14.9% reported in 2011, the highest level since the USDA began collecting data in 1995, the government said the decline could be the result of the sampling pool used to complete the study…”
Millions still struggle with hunger in U.S., USDA finds, By Tony Pugh, September 4, 2013, Anchorage Daily News: “Some 17.6 million U.S. households had trouble feeding their family members at times last year as ‘food insecurity’ remained at near-record levels for the fifth straight year, according to a government report released Wednesday…”
