From the NY Times:The number of New York City residents receiving food stamps reached 1.6 million in August. The figure has surged nearly 30 percent in less than two years, the largest increase in the city in enrollment in the federal program since the early 1970s.
“From January 2008 through August 2009 food stamp enrollment increased by 354,000 persons, expanding the caseload by nearly 30 percent,” the city’s Independent Budget Office reported on Thursday. “Based on the current average monthly grant, the increase of food stamp recipients over the same period should result in about $680 million annually in additional federal assistance to low-income city residents, a level that’s juiced by the increase in benefits under the stimulus act.”
The magnitude of the surge has been “unprecedented,” the budget office found, noting that the state and city had taken steps in recent years to make it easier for eligible residents to apply for food stamps, but that the recession was probably an even greater explanation in accounting for the increase. The previous peak of food stamp enrollment, 1.46 million, occurred in April 1995.
16 comments:
Why do they still call this food "stamps"? I haven't seen a coupon being used in years. It's all plastic with the EBT card. And BTW, do you see how embarassed EBT card users are when they fork over the card at the cash register? Why is that? I'll tell you why. It's because they are ashamed to be getting food on the cheap. That's just the way it is.
We still call it a token booth, too.
I've never noticed food stamp users act embarrassed. Quite the contrary, they act like they deserve them. That's the culture we've created.
Well, if these people were not being bled dry each month by rent, maybe they could afford food without help.
Just another pass-along effect of the republicans' pandering to the landlord lobby.
Bottom line here is that the prime reason everything costs so much more here in NYC..and escalates every year..is mostly attributable to uncontrolled landlord greed.
Even if you don't live in the city and have a private home you pay, via your tax dollars to help other survive this situation.
The republican approach is "if we can't outright kill things like rent/business regulation and social programs, we can at least suck off some of the benefits for our friends".
Why do working people keep voting for these creatures.
So much for NYC being middle-class friendly. Am I the only one who thinks rents are way too high partly due to the housing bubble and the mortgages the landlords have to struggle with now.
You could have just titled this article "Benefit scams on the Rise."
People fake and game the system all the time.
I know one Hispanic family where the husband and wife claimed on their forms that he left the family so they can get benefits as single mother status.
They don't need the assistance. They do OK. When i asked them why they were doing it, they said because they could.
Our government encourages food stamps. NYC cracked down on the abuse years ago and the numbers went down. Now, the government has become more lenient, so the numbers are rising again. The sad fact is that the people who really need it, i.e. the elderly and sick, are too proud to apply for it. The newcomers feel they are entitled to this benefit and take whatever they can and don't feel embarrassed about it. This is the culture the government created. As usual, the taxpayer foots the bill.
Getting more people on food stamps was an Eric Gioia project.
Where is he now? I guess all his press conferences were just to run for office and not because he really is a guy who cares for the people.
Here's a really snotty question...
How are people not ashamed to use food stamps, especially for the long term?
Isn't there a stigma?
Here's another question..
Why is the comment moderation on?
Because there are trolls copying and pasting things about political candidates repeatedly.
Bull, George is right, alot are embarassed. Many good hard workers, like teachers aides who got laid off, are now hitting tough times and have kids that need food. Some abuse the syatem but don't insult the ones who have no alternative and feel ashamed.
'I know one Hispanic family where the husband and wife claimed on their forms that he left the family so they can get benefits as single mother status.
They don't need the assistance. They do OK. When i asked them why they were doing it, they said because they could.'
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Full of crap. "I knew..." bull. You should report the people responsible for our deficits that lead to layoffs. If you knew it and do nothing you are part of the problem.
Queens Crap tries to organize people to have a voice to stand up and fight these problems and when people do nothing, then you only support these theives.
omg omg omg it's the illegals send them back omg!
whaddya expect? people are out of work. better off on foodstamps then robbing and stealing, violently.
at least this way, they're robbing and stealing politically, which leads to fewer murders.
:)
"Why do they still call this food "stamps"? I haven't seen a coupon being used in years. It's all plastic with the EBT card."
It's actually no longer called food stamps. The benefit is now called SNAP - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (http://www.fns.usda.gov/fsp/).
It's nice to know that when you are released from rikers,you get an ebt and section 8 for at least a year.
The truth is we cannot support ourselves properly while exporting our entire economy. Food Stamps and other things are "bread and circuses" for the poor. We need productive jobs now.
'It's nice to know that when you are released from rikers,you get an ebt and section 8 for at least a year.'
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I don't know where you're getting your information from, but that's blatantly not true.
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