According to Reuters, approximately 47 million people receive Food Stamps. That equates to 1 in 8 Americans (Abbott). Food Stamps is away to supplement those who are having trouble finding jobs and supporting their families. There are individuals who take it for granted, and abuse the system. Many people apply yearly for assistance, but get turned away because their case is insufficient, or there is simply not enough room to accommodate them. According to an article, states that since Food Stamps are running out of funds and people are turning to food banks for support (Food Assistance Becoming the "New Normal). Food banks are designed for extreme measures such a natural disaster, extreme weather conditions, and the homeless.
Because food is in short supply, our National government should create and endorse a New Food Stamp Reform Bill; because some individuals who are receiving the benefits that are allotted to them are committing fraud. Hard working Americans who make below the poverty line are denied every day for assistance because abusers are finding new creative ways to deceive the system.
The Foods Stamp Act of 1964 was very influential to the United States of America. It does not discriminate a household because of political beliefs, nationality, religion, and race. Its goal is to reduce hunger in low income families. The Foods Stamps is monitored heavily by the federal government, but the prospect receiver has to go through their local social services to apply. Food Stamps are only given only once a month, or in increments of two. It usually is given on the 1st and the 15th. How much a person receives, is dependent on household size. There are limits to what a person can buy. Alcoholic beverages, tobacco, and imported ...
... middle of paper ...
...les. "Food-stamp Tally Nears 40 Million, Sets Record." Reuters. Thomson Reuters, 07
Bump, Philip and Abby Ohlieser. "House Republicans Vote to Cut $39 Billion From Food Stamps." The Wire. N.p., 19 Sept. 2013. Web. 21 Apr. 2014. May 2010. Web. 21 Apr. 2014.
Duncan, Ian. "Two grocery store operators charged in food stamp fraud case."baltimoresun.com. Baltimore Sun, 17 Jan. 2014. Web. 14 Apr. 2014.
Koenig, Brian. "Report: .5 Billion in Food Stamps Benefits Improperly Spent." The New American N.p., 19 Oct. 2012. Web. 21 Apr. 2014.
"Food Assistance Becoming the "New Normal" Feeding America. Feeding America, n.d. Web.
Lubrano, Alfred. "The Debate over Food Stamps." Standard-Examiner. N.p., 25 Sept. 2011. Web. 21 Apr. 2014.
"Parenting Classes OC." Parenting Classes OC. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2014.
The Food Stamp Act of 1964. N.p.: n.p., 31 Aug. 1964. PDF. 21 Apr. 2014.
Today SNAP is the new name of the federal Food Stamp Program. “SNAP stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The name was changed to SNAP to meet the needs of clients, which includes a focus on nutrition and an increase in the amount of benefit received” ("supplemental nutrition,"2011). Another detail about SNAP is its ability to respond to changing needs caused by economic cycles or natural emergencies on the local, state and national levels. It is second to unemployment insurance in its responsiveness to economic changes. SNAP is very helpful to low-income families’ monthly resources, increasing the chance families is able to meet basic needs.
In the terms of the amount of money spent by the national government, the growth of social welfare activities was the most significant policy change in the role of government takes money from taxpayers or borrows it and disburses cash or in-kind benefits, such as food stamps, to millions of people who qualify because of old age, disability, unemployment, or poverty. (Turner et al. 469)
"Top 10 Reasons Food Stamps Need To Be Reformed." FreedomWorks. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Apr. 2014.
According to the article Millions Commit Food Stamp Fraud Every Year, “Food stamps represent one of the fastest growing federal programs in the U.S., 46 million Americans now receive assistance, but, it's a program ripe for abuse” (Volk, 2012). Though the idea behind food stamps is noble, and there is a definite need for the program; there are many problems that arise from the food stamps program. The primary problem in terms of decision-making is the fraud associated with the food stamp program. According to Tanner as quoted in the Millions Commit Food Stamp Fraud Every Year article, “The food stamp program has always had one of the highest rates of waste, fraud and abuse” (Volk, 2012).
This SNAP program originates from the latter half of the nineteen-thirties around the Great Depression. One of the worst problems from this era in our history was feeding everyone. SAMP was first introduced in New York in 1939 and they actually used orange and blue stamps, thus creating the term “Food Stamps.” John F. Kennedy helped to fuel the second stage of the process through his campaign. There was pilot program between 1961-1964 filled with studies, reports and legislative proposals”(FNS). “The Federal Food Stamp Act of 1964 is the most significant food plan in the united states” this act started it all. “It provides food stamps for needy individuals that can be exchanged like money in authorized stores” (Cornell). The same year the act was passed “there were 380,000 people in twenty two different states.”
Disentangling the Short-Term And Long-Term Economic Effects Of Food Stamp Receipt And Low Income For Young Mothers." Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare 38.4 (2011): 101-122. Academic Search Complete. Web. 5 Apr. 2014.
Many families and people have become too dependent on food stamps. “Critics of food stamps and government spending, however, argue that too many families have become dependent on government aid.”(NoteCard #1) But if they did not have this program people would go hungry. “11.9 million people went hungry in the United States”... “that included nearly 700,000 children, up more than 50% from the year before.”(NoteCard #2, Point 2) The program does good and helps people but it also spends a lot of money to get people food stamps. “..food-stamp recipients has soared to 44 million from 26 million in 2007, and the costa have more than doubled to $77 billion from $33 billion.”(NoteCard #5) But in the end, is it worth it? People need the assistance. It does help people from going hungry and keeps them at least with a little food in their stomach to that keeps them from starving. A lot of people who could not get jobs, were eligible for the program because they did not have a source of income. “Critics of food stamps and government spending, however, argue that too many families have become dependent on government aid.”(NoteCard #1) Since not everyone could get work, the government changed the requirements and it went for the better and for the
It is a commonly known fact that a large percentage of Americans are living on and relying on welfare, which is a government program that provides financial aid to individuals or groups of people who cannot support themselves. Welfare began in the 1930’s during the Great Depression. There are several types of assistance offered by the government, which include healthcare, food stamps, child care assistance, unemployment, cash aid, and housing assistance. The type of welfare and amounts given depend on the individual, and how many children they have. There are many people who honestly need the government assistance, but there are also many who abuse the privilege.
In the other hand, one of the biggest concerns about S.N.A.P. is that “The food stamp is the second most...
Food stamp organizations help a variety of people from the disabled, single mothers, children and to those who cannot find—or are unable to—work. There are many out there who for some reason are unable to obtain necessary food, and without these programs, these people wouldn’t be able to survive in the money hungry world. Though these programs are put in place to ensure that people are being properly fed, there are people out there that think people use it only to abuse it. Single mothers are just one of the groups that gets a lot of harassment and are looked down upon. These individual’s are looked down upon due to the stereotypes and the overwhelming concern of them ruining the system due to a few. According to Poverty and the Homeless they said only 9 percent of single mothers stayed in there programs for more than seven years and less than 10 percent stayed more than eight years, also saying that most of them were young single mothers with children under the age of three (Williams). Single mothers are not the reason that the economy is going under, people just need an escape goat to blame so they don’t see their own ignorance. Mothers shouldn’t be wrongly accused for needing food stamps, because they could need them for a number of reasons. There are mothers out there that have been divorced and the husbands don’t pay child support. An article online talked about how this mother had recently separated from her husband and she was on food stamps. Her children didn’t know because she didn’t want to burden them with any more than they already had. She said, “I sold everything that wasn’t tied down. I eventually found three part-time jobs that would allow me to be with my sons when they got home from school, trying to keep their lives as structured and normal as possible — plus saving me $100+ a week in childcare, which is substantial when you make
In 1939, at the end of the Great Depression, is when the Food Stamp Plan was established. It was part of the New Deal that was put in place by President Roosevelt. It was made for low-income families who couldn’t afford essential foods. Participants in the program bought orange stamps which bought household items such as starch, soap, and matches. For every one dollar spent in orange stamps, fifty cents of blue stamps were given back. These stamps would buy the surplus foods such as flour, eggs, cornmeal, and other healthy foods. The program ended in 1943 as World War 2 came to an end, boosting the economy, leaving less in poverty. In 1961, John F Kennedy re-introduced the Food Stamp Program. This program required participants to still purchase food stamps, but eliminated the special food stamps that were needed to buy the extra items, similar to how the program works in the modern day. Today, research shows that 9.25% of food stamps are spent on soft drinks alone. The recipients of food stamps are using them for the wrong purpose.
Murray, Sara. “Numbers On Welfare See Sharp Increase.” The Wall Street Journal. 22 Jun. 2009. 20 May. 2012.
Morin, Rich. "The politics and demographics of food stamp recipients." Pew Research Center RSS. Pew Research Center, 12 July 2013. Web. 11 May 2014.
With just food stamps alone, a family of five gets $700 or more a month. However, people who are on food stamps average at least $100 per person alone. Mind you, this is only food stamps. This does not include housing welfare, free college payments, infant assistance, free public schooling, or actual cash from the government. Last year there were a reported 12, 800,000 Americans on welfare. That adds up to a grand total of $131.9 billion dollars used to help them survive. Many people have found it easier to live off of this money rather than go out and get a job. This is known as Abuse of the Welfare System. When I say Abuse of the Welfare System I mean the unlawful use or spending of Governmental funds that are meant to aid those in need.
Haggerty, James. "Local food stamp use soars 75% in five years." Times-Tribune, The (Scranton, PA) 11 Nov. 2013: Newspaper Source. Web. 14 Nov. 2013.