This briefing report provides information on recent trends in: (1) the number of households applying for food stamp benefits; (2) the number of households participating in the Food Stamp Program; and (3) the percentage of households whose food stamps were improperly denied or terminated. The data were reported by the 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands to the Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service. Section 1 of the report describes the study background and objectives; section 2 presents statistics and analysis. Major findings, based on data available as of February 23, 1987, include the following: (1) the number of households applying for food stamps, nationwide, declined from about 16.8 million in fiscal year 1983 to about 6 million in fiscal 1985--a decline of about 25 percent. The percentage of applications approved and denied remained relatively constant at about 80 and 20 percent, respectively. (2) The total estimated number of households participating in the program nationwide declined from about 13.7 million in 1983 to about 12.8 million in 1985--a 7 percent decline. Participation increased in 11 states, while 42 states experienced declines. (3) The percentage of cases in which households' benefits were reported by the states as improperly denied or terminated declined from 1980 through 1985. State-by-state, improper denials or termination over this period ranged from zero in Delaware to over 11 percent in Washington State (1984 and 1985) and the District of Columbia (1981). Data are presented in the text and in tabular form. Appendices include comments about this report from the Department of Agriculture and General Accounting Office and a list of major contributors to this report. (KH)
- Authorizing Institution
- General Accounting Office, Washington, DC.
- Peer Reviewed
- F
- Publication Type
- ['Legal/Legislative/Regulatory Materials', 'Reports - Research']
- Published in
- United States of America
Table of Contents
- TITLE 1
- INSTITUTION NOTE 1
- IDENTIFIERS 1
- Representatives. 1
- B-217883 1
- B-217883 3
- Dear Mr. Chairman 3
- Our or terminated. 3
- 1The first report GAORCED-87-51 Oct. 30 1986. 3
- B-217883 4
- B-217883 5
- 1980 through 1985. 5
- B-217883 6
- Sincerely yours 6
- Contents 7
- APPENDIX 7
- 1983 through 1985 7
- 1980 through 1985 8
- FIGURES 8
- GAO RCED 8
- INTRODUCTION 9
- BACKGROUND 9
- Program 10
- The 11
- SECTION 2 12
- Denied 13
- 2.6 million in fiscal year 1985. 14
- Stamp Program procedures. 14
- Table 2.1 15
- Figure 2.2 17
- THE FOOD STAMP PROGRAM NATIONWIDE 18
- 1Food Stamp Research 18
- Fi ure 2.3 19
- For example 20
- 11- states experienced increases in See table 2.2.. 20
- Figure 2.4 22
- APPENDIX I 25
- APPENDIX I 26
- GAO COMMENTS 26
- Requests for copies of GAO reports should be sent to 28
- U.S. General Accounting Office Post Office Box 6015 28
- Telephone 202-275-6241 28
