Food Stamp Users Hit Record High of 33.8 Million

"It was the fifth straight month of record participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program [the official government name for what most people know as the food stamp program], according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, up 1.8 percent from the prior month," Bloomberg reported this week. "Total spending was $4.5 billion, up 19 percent from the previous all-time high reached in March, the USDA said."

2.7 million Californians receive food stamps, second only to the number who receive them in Texas. The average monthly benefit for an individual rose 17 percent from March, to $133.28 - or $1.43 per meal (based on a 31-day month).

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