Section 7.1.1

7.1.1 - Use of the Food Stamp Program

Clients were asked a series of questions relating to the Food Stamp Program (FSP). Table 7.1.1 summarizes the findings.

Table 7.1.1

USE OF THE FOOD STAMP PROGRAM
(Adults Interviewed at A2H Emergency Food Providers)

	Pantry Client Households	Kitchen Client Households	Shelter Client Households	All Client Households
Client or anyone in the household had applied for food stamps	64.0%	61.8%	66.9%	63.9%
Client or anyone in the household currently receiving food stamps	31.0%	23.6%	25.6%	29.8%
Client or anyone in the household currently not receiving but received food stamps during the previous 12 months	6.5%	9.1%	12.6%	7.2%
Client or anyone in the household had applied for but had not received food stamps during the previous 12 months	25.6%	28.6%	28.2%	26.1%
SAMPLE SIZE (N)	24,436	5,441	2,882	32,759

Number of weeks clients or their households have currently been receiving food stamps (for those who are receiving)
Less than 2 weeks	2.4%	2.8%	5.3%	2.5%
2-4 weeks	3.7%	7.9%	20.0%	4.9%
5-12 weeks	4.3%	7.0%	11.1%	4.9%
13-51 weeks	18.7%	26.9%	33.6%	20.2%
1-2 years (52-103 weeks)	10.2%	8.6%	16.6%	10.3%
2-4 years (104-207 weeks)	23.9%	21.5%	6.3%	22.9%
4 years or more	36.9%	25.2%	7.1%	34.4%
TOTAL	100%	100%	100%	100%

Average number of weeks clients or their households have currently been receiving food stamps	208.1	150.6	52.0	195.3
Median number of weeks clients or their households have currently been receiving food stamps	104	52	13	104

Clients who experienced an increase or a decrease of food stamp benefits during the previous 12 months
Increased	19.5%	16.8%	38.3%	20.1%
Decreased	39.5%	34.7%	11.5%	37.7%
Remained the same	41.0%	48.5%	50.2%	42.2%
TOTAL	100%	100%	100%	100%

Number of weeks during the month over which food stamps usually last
1 week or less	30.0%	26.0%	19.4%	29.2%
2 weeks	25.6%	24.8%	19.3%	25.3%
3 weeks	29.2%	26.7%	42.4%	29.5%
4 weeks	13.9%	20.0%	16.0%	14.6%
More than 4 weeks	1.3%	2.5%	2.9%	1.5%
TOTAL	100%	100%	100%	100%

Average number of weeks during the month over which food stamps usually last	2.3	2.5	2.6	2.3
Median number of weeks during the month over which food stamps usually last	2	2	3	2
SAMPLE SIZE (N) - Clients who are currently receiving food stamps	7,654	1,407	777	9,838

Source
This table was constructed based on usable responses to Questions 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, and 36 of the client survey.

Notes
The percentages presented in this table are based only on usable responses, excluding missing, don't know, and refusal responses. All usable responses were weighted as described in Chapter 3 and in the Technical Appendix volume to represent all emergency food clients of the A2H network. The sample sizes (N) also include missing data.

The second, third, and fourth rows of the first panel do not add up exactly to the first row due to varying item nonresponses to the question involved.

For length of receipt of food stamps, missing, don't know, and refusal responses combined are 7.8% for pantry clients, 5.3% for kitchen clients, 11.2% for shelter clients, and 7.7% for all clients.

For increase/decrease in food stamp benefits, missing, don't know, and refusal responses combined are 5.4% for pantry clients, 4.4% for kitchen clients, 6.9% for shelter clients, and 5.4% for all clients.

For period of time food stamps lasted, missing, don't know, and refusal responses combined are 4.3% for pantry clients, 6.6% for kitchen clients, 13.5% for shelter clients, and 5.0% for all clients.

Overall, 63.9% of the clients have applied for and 29.8% are currently receiving food stamps. More information includes:

67.5% of the clients who are receiving food stamps have been receiving food stamps for more than two years.
20.1% of the clients currently receiving food stamps experienced increased food stamp benefits, while 37.7% experienced decreased benefits during the previous 12 months.
For 84.0% of the clients who are receiving food stamps, their food stamps last for three weeks or less.
On average, food stamps last for 2.3 weeks.