Characteristics
of Food Stamp Households:
Fiscal Year 2001 (Advance Report)
SUMMARY
On average,
about 17.3 million people living in 7.5
million households received food stamps
in the United States each month in FY
2001. Food stamp households are a
diverse group. Because food stamps are
available to most low-income households
with few resources, regardless of age,
disability status, or family structure,
recipients represent a broad
cross-section of the nation's poor. This
report provides summary information
about the demographic and economic
circumstances of food stamp households.
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Most
food stamp recipients are children
or elderly. Over half (51
percent) are children and another 10
percent are age 60 or older.
Working-age women represent 27
percent of the caseload, while
working-age men represent 12
percent.
-
The
majority of food stamp households do
not receive cash welfare benefits.
Less than one quarter (23 percent)
received TANF benefits. Nearly a
third (32 percent) received
Supplemental Security Income. One
quarter received Social Security
benefits. Nine percent had no cash
income of any kind.
-
Many
food stamp recipients work. Over
one fourth (27 percent) of food
stamp households have earnings. For
these households, earnings are the
primary source of income.
-
Food
stamp households have little income.
Only 11 percent are above the
poverty line, while 35 percent have
incomes at or below half the poverty
line. The typical food stamp
household had gross income of $624
per month and received a monthly
food stamp benefit of $163. Over
one-fifth of monthly funds (cash
income plus food stamps) available
to a typical household come from
food stamps.
-
Food
stamp households possess few
resources. The average food
stamp household possesses only about
$146 in countable resources
(including the non-excluded portion
of vehicles and the entire value of
checking and savings accounts and
other savings).
-
Most
food stamp households are small. The
average food stamp household size
was 2.3, but varied considerably by
household composition. Households
with children were relatively large,
averaging 3.4 members. Households
with elderly members tended to be
smaller, with an average size of 1.3
people.
June
2002
Last modified: 12/04/2008
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