Food Stamp Use Hits New High

Participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or food stamps, reached another high in September, according to new data released by the United States Department of Agriculture, the Daily Caller reports. The data, released on Friday, shows that 47,710,324 people were enrolled in the program in September, an increase of 607,559 from the 47,102,765 enrolled in August. The number of households enrolled in the program also went up from 22,684,463 in August to 22,973,698 in September -- an increase of 289,235. The average benefit was $134.29 per person and $278.89 per household, and Texas, California and Florida were the states with the most recipients. The new numbers mean that an estimated one in 6.5 people in America were on food stamps in America. In the 1970s, one out of every 50 Americans was on food stamps, but spending on the program has quadrupled since 2001 and doubled in just the last four years.