The food stamps that were available to many Americans who were unemployed have helped thousands to sustain themselves during the economic crisis. The number of people receiving food stamps are quite high and determined the rate of unemployment in America. This also includes people who are underemployed or work for fewer hours than they could work.
With the financial crisis in America, SNAP made sure that those who were unemployed continued to have access to food. This program supported many people through these years. Though many states have rules that allow able bodies to partake in SNAP only for three months, the states that have a higher unemployment did not curb their time period and thus made their program quite flexible for the sake of the poor.
The Congressional Budget Office expects the number of people availing the benefits to come down, and to see a 30 percent decrease in the next ten years.
The employment rates have not made much difference, and the recipients to food stamps are still quite high. From under 30 million participants in 2008, the recipients have increased to over 47 million in 2013. However, in 2015, the number has fallen to 45.8 million participants.
Though many people have started availing the benefits of food stamps post-recession, with the stringent rules that are coming up, many will lose their benefits.
However, with the restrictions, the problems might get worse. Different states will face different problems. Nearly 150,000 Tennesseans could lose food stamp benefits and nearly 30,000 Missourians could lose food stamps this year.
The effects of the recession still linger in parts of America and food stamps have only been a support to many thousands who have been badly affected. With the new rules coming in, people who cannot afford to get their daily dose of food will struggle to sustain themselves.
