Reaching Those in Need: State Food Stamp Participation Rates in 2004

Abstract

The Food Stamp program is the largest of the domestic food and nutrition assistance programs administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service. During fiscal year 2004, the program served 26 million people in an average month at a total annual cost of over $29 billion in benefits, excluding hurricane-related disaster assistance provided in October and November 2005. This report presents estimates of food stamp participation rates for all eligible people and for the working poor—people who are eligible for food stamps and live in households in which someone earns income from a job. About 60 percent of all eligible people and 51 percent of the eligible working poor received food stamp benefits in fiscal year 2004, with wide variations from state to state.