More than 79,000 people no longer receive food stamps
As a logical consequence of the prolonged economic downturn, participation in the federal food stamp program is continuing to rise.
The latest data released by the Department of Agriculture indicated that in March, 79,476 individual recipients were removed from the food stamps program with the current total declining 3.41 percent on a year-over-year basis.
Individuals receiving food stamp benefits declined to 46.09 million which, as a ratio of the overall civilian non-institutional population now stands at a whopping 18.69% of the population.
Households receiving food stamps benefits went flat at 22.47 million households with the current total falling 2.76 percent below the level seen a year earlier
Total nominal benefit cost declined 8.93 percent on a year-over-year basis to $5.77 billion for the month.
