Vt. food stamp usage jumps 39%

BRATTLEBORO -- Vermont had one of the largest increases in the country in the percentage of people using food stamps last year, according to data released this month from the U.S Department of Agriculture.

Between August 2008 and August 2009, the number of people in the state seeking assistance with their food bills jumped 39 percent, the sixth highest increase in the nation.

Only Nevada, Washington, Utah, Idaho and the District of Columbia showed a bigger jump during the same time period.

In August this year, 80,175 people in Vermont used the federal food stamps program, now known as 3SquaresVt, or almost 13 percent of the population.

In Windham County, the number of recipients increased by almost 44 percent, with 6,450 individuals receiving assistance in August 2009.

"The news is both good and bad," said Steve Dale, Commissioner of the Department For Children and Families. "It means we have been successful getting the word out and more people are taking advantage of the benefit, but it also means that more people are in distress and that is horrible news. The economic times, in my life, have never been like this before."

Last year, when oil prices rose above $4 a gallon, state officials held an emergency summit to address the crisis, and the eligibility threshold for receiving food assistance was lowered.

Vermont lowered the income threshold from 135 percent of the federal poverty line to 185 percent and the change went into place on Jan. 1.

A family of four can now make $40,000 annually and receive food assistance, for instance, while the previous amount was $30,000.

At a time when most state departments were being cut, 16 positions were added to handle the increase in 3SquaresVt applications.

Dale said the new USDA data show that the state has been successful in reaching out to families and individuals who are now eligible to receive assistance.

Even though fuel prices have fallen, Dale said the numbers clearly show that more working families need help making ends meet with their monthly bills.

"Moderate and low-income Vermonters are struggling. There are more people seeking assistance than ever before," Dale said. "But this is just a small amount that is helping people to survive. This program has put a modest amount of money into the pockets of Vermonters who need it. It will help for folks who are on the edge economically."

The federal government covers 100 percent of the food assistance program, though the state had to cover 50 percent of the costs associated with the increase in staffing.

According to Dale, that extra staffing will cost the state about $750,000 in the 18 months the new workers are scheduled to help out with the increase in enrollments.

Angela Smith-Dieng, 3SquaresVt Policy specialist with the Vermont Campaign to End Childhood Hunger, said that while the state expects to see more households on the 3SquaresVt program earlier this year with the change in eligibility, officials have been surprised that the number of applicants is continuing to rise.

Between July and August of this year, the number of Vermonters participating in the food stamps program inched up 1,191.

Forecasters are not expecting the economic situation to turn around dramatically in the near future and Smith-Dieng said some of those working with food security issues in Vermont are bracing for even more eye-opening statistics.

"Even before the change, we were at an all-time high and we’ve seen a huge increase in participation as more people became eligible," Smith-Dieng said. "So many people are still struggling to find a job and this little bit that helps is often still not enough to make ends meet. We are still seeing a slight increase every month and we think that trend is going to continue for a while."

Howard Weiss-Tisman can be reached at hwtisman@reform-er.com or 802-254-2311, ext. 279.