Rising Food Prices Take a Bite Out of Food Stamp Benefits
by
Kenneth Hanson and
Margaret Andrews
Economic Information Bulletin No. (EIB-41) 21 pp, December 2008
Cover image for ERS report "Rising Food Prices Take a Bite Out of Food Stamp Benefits " (EIB-41)
The Food Stamp Program is designed to provide low-income families with increased food purchasing power to obtain a nutritionally adequate diet. As in most other Federal Government assistance programs, benefits are adjusted in response to rising prices—in this case, rising food prices. The current method of adjustment results in a shortfall between the maximum food stamp benefit and the cost of a nutritionally adequate diet as specified by USDA’s Thrifty Food Plan. During fiscal year (FY) 2007, the shortfall in the caseload-weighted maximum benefit for the program grew from $7 in October 2006 to $19 in September 2007. In FY 2008, the amount grew from almost $8 in October 2007 to $34 in July 2008 and to $38 in September 2008. In an average month, food stamp households faced shortfalls of over $2 in FY 2003, $12 in FY 2007, and $22 in FY 2008. These losses in food purchasing power account for 1 percent, 4 percent, and 7 percent of the maximum benefit in each respective year. Alternative adjustment methods can reduce the shortfall but will raise program costs.
Keywords: Rising food prices, food price inflation, food stamp benefits, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Food Stamp Program, food purchasing power, cost of the Thrifty Food Plan
In this publication...
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Report summary, Pdf file 155 kb | HTML
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Abstract, Contents, and Summary, Pdf file 185 kb
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Introduction, Pdf file 78 kb
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How the Maximum Benefit Is Adjusted for Rising Food Prices, Pdf file 150 kb
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Alternative Policies for Adjusting the Maximum Benefit for Rising Food Prices, Pdf file 47 kb
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Estimated Shortfall in Food Purchasing Power for All Households in the FSP Caseload, Pdf file 94 kb
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Additional Federal Benefit Costs Under Alternative Adjustment Procedures, Pdf file 59 kb
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Discussion, Pdf file 48 kb
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Entire report, Pdf file 464 kb
Charts and graphs (in .png format) from this report are available in the .zip file listed below. The .zip file also contains a document (readme.txt) that lists the name and title of each chart or graph file.
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