Food stamps can help those who aren't able to financially afford food, which means that tracking who uses them can be a good indicator of how well a region is doing. Unfortunately, though, it seems like Delaware isn't doing all that well. It turns out that the number of state residents receiving food stamps has nearly tripled over the past 10 years.
In fact, every county in Delaware experienced an increase in the number of food stamp recipients, according to The News Journal. This growth in the number of recipients greatly outpaced the 14 percent increase in the state's population.
Yet while each county experienced a rise in food stamp use, not all counties experienced the same problems. In Rehoboth Beach, for example, young workers and seniors struggled to make ends meet, according to The Washington Post. In contrast, Smyrna saw thousands of newcomers who struggled.
In fact, while the rest of the country saw a 124 percent increase in the amount of food stamp rolls, Delaware saw a 196 percent increase in the past decade, according to The News Journal. This growth far surpasses increases in Pennsylvania and New Jersey; both of these states greatly outpaced Delaware in terms of population growth.
Controversy actually surrounds the food stamp program. While the government has attempted to enforce cuts in food stamp spending, states like New York, Connecticut and Pennsylvania have triggered extra nutrition spending by adding money to a home-heating subsidy tied to the food stamp program, according to The Washington Post. It's estimated that overall, federal spending on food stamps has more than doubled over the past five years.
