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Section 15.7.1

15.7.1 - Food Stamp Receipt and Responses to Six Household Food Security Questions

Table 15.7.1 examines the associations between responses to the food security questions in the client survey and their food stamp participation.

Table 15.7.1
FOOD STAMP RECEIPT AND RESPONSES TO SIX HOUSEHOLD FOOD SECURITY QUESTIONS
Food Stamp Receipt Status of Households        
  All Client Households Receiving Food Stamps Apparently Eligible, not Receiving Apparently Ineligible Because of Income, not Receiving 1 
Food didn't last; no money to buy more 2         
Often true 32.4% 35.8% 33.8% 17.5%
Sometimes true 45.6% 47.7% 45.8% 38.3%
Never true 22.0% 16.5% 21.4% 44.2%
TOTAL 100% 100% 100% 100%
SAMPLE SIZE (N) 28,941 9,659 15,848 3,434
Couldn't afford to eat balanced meals 2         
Often true 22.8% 22.9% 24.9% 13.0%
Sometimes true 43.0% 45.2% 43.9% 33.0%
Never true 34.2% 31.9% 31.2% 54.0%
TOTAL 100% 100% 100% 100%
SAMPLE SIZE (N) 28,892 9,642 15,820 3,430
Cut size/skip meals because not enough food 3         
Almost every month 23.2% 24.8% 24.8% 12.4%
Some months but not every month 20.5% 23.7% 20.6% 11.7%
Only one or two months 6.6% 6.2% 7.0% 6.1%
Never 49.7% 45.3% 47.7% 69.9%
TOTAL 100% 100% 100% 100%
SAMPLE SIZE (N) 28,622 9,512 15,678 3,432
Ever ate less than should because no money        
Yes 51.4% 55.6% 54.0% 28.6%
No 48.6% 44.4% 46.0% 71.4%
TOTAL 100% 100% 100% 100%
SAMPLE SIZE (N) 29,020 9,683 15,885 3,452
Ever hungry but didn't eat because no money        
Yes 34.7% 36.5% 37.5% 17.3%
No 65.3% 63.5% 62.5% 82.7%
TOTAL 100% 100% 100% 100%
SAMPLE SIZE (N) 29,077 9,674 15,945 3,458
Ever not eat for whole day because no money        
Yes 22.6% 23.3% 25.2% 9.2%
No 77.4% 76.7% 74.8% 90.8%
TOTAL 100% 100% 100% 100%
SAMPLE SIZE (N) 29,126 9,694 15,976 3,456

Notes 
Item nonresponses to all variables involved were excluded in calculating percentages and sample sizes.
1. Eligibility was determined based on the previous month's income alone.

2. Statistically significant based on chi-square test (d.f. = 4) at the 1% level.

3. Statistically significant based on chi-square test (d.f. = 6) at the 1% level.

 
 
Overall, households receiving food stamps and households that appear to be eligible but are not receiving food stamps have similar response patterns. Further, both of these groups are substantially more likely to provide responses that indicate food insecurity than the set of households who appear to be ineligible for food stamps.

  • 35.8% of food stamp recipients and 33.8% of apparently eligible nonparticipants said that it was "often true" that food didn't last and there was no money to buy more; the comparable percentage for apparently ineligible A2H clients was much lower, 17.5%.
  • 55.6% of food stamp recipients and 54.0% of apparently eligible nonparticipants said they eat less than they should because they lack money to buy food; the comparable figure for the apparently ineligible respondents was 28.6%.
  • Similar patterns are observed for the responses to the other questions.