Six million in the US with no income but food stamps

Is this the yellow brick road?

7 January 2010

Some six million Americans—one in 50 people in the US—are living on no income other than $100 or $200 a month in food stamps, according to an analysis of state data by the New York Times. The number of people who reported that they are unemployed and receive no cash aid—neither welfare, nor unemployment insurance, pension benefits, child support or disability pay—the newspaper reported, has jumped by 50 percent over the last two years, as the recession has taken hold.

According to the January 3 article, the number of people reporting no income tripled in Nevada over the past two years, doubled in Florida and New York, and increased nearly 90 percent in Minnesota and Utah. In Wayne County, Michigan—which includes Detroit, where half the population is unemployed or underemployed—one out of every 25 residents reports an income of only food stamps. In Yakima County, Washington, the figure is one out of every 17.

The figures reveal the vast scale of human suffering in the US as the new decade begins and puts the lie to talk of an economic “recovery.” The 6 million people in households reporting no income—which includes 1.2 million children—is equivalent to the entire population of Indiana or Massachusetts, or the combined populations of Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Boston.

Such a social catastrophe underscores the indifference of the Obama administration, which has done virtually nothing to provide relief to those who have lost their jobs, homes and livelihoods—even as it spares no expense to shore up the fortunes of the financial elite and fund its ongoing wars.

“Many of those who would have received cash assistance in past recessions are not getting it now,” Judy Putnam, a spokesperson for the Michigan League for Human Services, told the World Socialist Web Site. “Only a third of the state’s children living in poverty are getting cash assistance compared with two-thirds before ‘welfare reform’ in 1996. People in Michigan are heavily dependent on food stamps.”

The social crisis facing working people—depression levels of unemployment, home foreclosures, the growth of hunger, poverty and homelessness—is the most graphic expression of the failure of capitalism, an economic system that benefits the wealthy few at the expense of the vast majority.

In the midst of this worsening situation for the working population, it was reported last week that the top three banks—Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase and Morgan Stanley—which received tens of billions in public funds under the Troubled Asset Relief Program—will hand out $49.5 billion in end-of-year cash bonuses and stock awards. All told, US banks will dispense an estimated $200 billion in total compensation.

The Obama administration is continuing and accelerating the transfer of wealth from working people to those who are responsible for precipitating the worst economic breakdown since the Great Depression.

Nearly a year after his inauguration, President Obama has demonstrated he is nothing but a tool of the financial oligarchy. The very future of the working class depends on the development of a mass socialist movement against this administration, both big business parties, and the profit system which they defend.

Jerry White

www.wsws.org...

How very sad.

Until the government learns the "trickle up" program nothing will be solved.

The banks caused this whole mess, but they continued to be rewarded. Where is the bailout for small local companies to keep their heads above water?

These folks should be happy.

They are going to get free healthcare.

Although they may have to wait 5 years.

Seriously, this is the hardest thing for me to understand about 2009.

Why did Congress make Healthcare a priority over the economy?

A bill they said was so important because people were dying under the current system and yet the bill doesn't go into effect until much later.

Meanwhile people still losing jobs, many no longer entitled to unemployment benefits, hard times still ahead.

Yea, I know. The stimulus plan will take care of the economy.

reply to post by Julie Washington

I know I'm seeing it first hand where I live. Alot of vacant store fronts and more coming each month. 3 out of the 4 kids cant find a job, and its not for lack of applying. I'd say something needs to flip on its head really quick and I'm sure hoping it does before many more places board up.

reply to post by jam321

Seems like grease on the runners of a sled aiming down a very icy hill doesnt it? Almost like the plans or lack thereof are designed to accelerate this fiasco right off the cliff!
Common sense doesnt seem to be in the race anymore.

I'm one of them. I have had no income other then foodstamps for 3 years. I'm 33 and live with my grandmother. There are no jobs in my area. I know 5 other people in the same finacial situation as me. My local paper had 48 pages of home forclosures just in my county alone. BTW I'm in a suberb of Detroit. I have two cousins that graduated highschool 2 years ago. Neither have had a job. They're both on foodstamps also. They can't even get a job at a fast food dump.

I can understand wantsome. I fled the Detroit area in 92 due to the lack of jobs when I got out of school. Mom still lives N of there and says the state's in bad shape. Have you considered looking out of state since you don't have home ownership hanging around your neck?

I applied for socal security disability so that I could have an income and insurance. I have schizophrenia and need insurance so that I can get my medications. When I was working I kept getting liad off. I spent long periods of time with no health insurance. The cost of my medications broke me finacialy. I was paying $500 cash a month for my meds. I lost everything I had worked for because of the price of my meds. I gave up and figured it would be easyer to go on disability. I would rather work but I need a stable job. After 10 years in the workforce it just wasn't happening. I would like to leave the state but with my condition I have to have family members around to monitor me.

I have family and friends that are in bad shape finacialy. My uncle went from making $25 an hour (skilled trade) to only being able to get minimum wage. We've lost alot of jobs here. I've never seen anything like it. I think Michigans unemployment rate is the highest in the nation at 15%.

I have seen whole industrial complexs with 100's of buisnesses go under.

An odd point to the article is that it calls for a socialist response to the situation, and the administration gets tagged with being socialist in agenda doesnt it? I dont believe the plans being laid out have anything more to do than to continue on with the dynasty in place.

reply to post by wantsome


I wonder if those numbers they put out there arent a little skewed? In my travels around and experiences I'd have to say the unemployment is alot higher than what theyre saying.

Food stamps are amazing. I've love to spend $200 a month on groceries. I probably only spend half of that.

reply to post by Moonsouljah


$25 a week for food?

$3 a day?

$1 a meal?

Where do you live and what the heck do you eat?

And why don't you spend more, because you can't or because you won't?

First off I am goint to stop right here and say no where is this compared to the Great Depression. This generation is obsessed and melodramatic in thinking the worst of everything has happened to them.

The unemployment is 10%. 12% in some states, maybe slightly more. NOT EVEN HALF of what the GD was. Until there are lines down city blocks waiting hours for a loaf of bread or a woman is selling her last pair of nylons to get some coffee, we can't even grasp what it was like. Great Recession? Maybe.

That being said.


I don't think this is a legitimate article based on fact. It looks like a blogticle.

As someone who works in a welfare office, if a person has no income but only receives 100 a month in food stamps. that is their fault.

it is strictly based on income in and income out, and the number of members of your family.

If someone is unemployed and only receiving a little bit of money, then they are getting income from SSI, child support. alimony, disbaility, etc.

THAT also being said:

Food stamps are a last resort. It is not for someone to live off of. It is a supplement. Most families only get about 200 a month. Same with cash assistance. it is a LAST RESORT. Cash assistance is if you have no income, and no way to buy food or pay bills. You have more then 100 bucks to your name, you dont' get it. This isn't for people to live off of.

reply to post by Moonsouljah


Most days I eat one meal, I'll sustain on coffee and a smoke and maybe a cracker pack. This is half choice and half economics.

reply to post by nixie_nox


You work for public assistance? Good you can share some info and some facts, maybe answer some honest questions? What happens to people when they run out of unemployment? Can you collect unemployment and get public assistance, food stamps, medical at the same time?
If you dont have an income can people still qualify for help?
I drew unemployment 1 time in 3 decades so I really dont know, thats why I'm asking.
Can you get medical only?

And I agree its not the great depression yet, lets just hope it doesnt get there. What's your thoughts from what youre seeing?

It's not a blog it is a newspaper, just not msm.





[edit on 7-1-2010 by HappilyEverAfter]

Originally posted by HappilyEverAfter
reply to post by nixie_nox

 

You work for public assistance? Good you can share some info and some facts, maybe answer some honest questions? What happens to people when they run out of unemployment? Can you collect unemployment and get public assistance, food stamps, medical at the same time?
If you dont have an income can people still qualify for help?
I drew unemployment 1 time in 3 decades so I really dont know, thats why I'm asking.
Can you get medical only?

And I agree its not the great depression yet, lets just hope it doesnt get there. What's your thoughts from what youre seeing?

It's not a blog it is a newspaper, just not msm.





[edit on 7-1-2010 by HappilyEverAfter]

YOur making me work on my day off.

Now it does vary a little by state so I can only go by mine. But it all stems from the same federal mandates.

Unemployment is seperate from public assistance. Though unemployment can factor in as an income.

If you don't have an income you definetly qualify for help, IF you dont' have any other resources. Anything that you receive, including the 10 bucks that your mother loaned you, is considered income.

If you have a 2,000 mortgage, but no income, they will ask you how you are paying it. So unemployment, disability, SSA, retirement, child support,and any liquid assets are considered income.

You have to have children or be pregnant to get medical assistance or cash assistance.


Cash assistance you have to have almost nothing. Nothing over 100 to your name. You have to meet a list of criteria to get it. There are a lot of hoops. Many people end up turning it down. You have to particapate in all sorts of training classes and job building classes. If you dn't receive child support you have to pursue it.

The standards are less strict for medical assistance.

When you apply for these benefits, it is only your current assests. What happened 5 years ago doesn't matter. Every year you have to go through a semi-re application process that goes over any changes.

Any changes in income or jobs or assets have to be reported immediately.

Anyone else think that maybe having over 100 military bases abroad

and being in 2 wars might have a tad to do with this

reply to post by jam321


Sorry to brake this to you but without public option nobody is getting free anything, they will just be rolled down to the bottom of the food chain.

Originally posted by Moonsouljah
Food stamps are amazing. I've love to spend $200 a month on groceries. I probably only spend half of that.

Holy Cripes , 100 bucks


My wife and I , and my 2 young adult sons spend bout 1,000. a

month. Easy.

I likes me some food.

Working in a supermarket as I do, I see EBT cards very frequently, and in this current economic climate a bit more than say two years ago. But what I'm seeing even more of, and this was long, long before any economic slowdown, is rampant abuse of this program. Especially by younger folks. The standard EBT program has two facets, one food only, the other is a cash aspect, to be used to help pay utility bill, or rent...that sort of thing.

I have lost count of the number of times I've given out a cash amount, say 50 bucks, and watched that person walk right over to the scratch ticket machine and buy 50 dollars worth of tickets...or three cases of beer...you get the picture. These characters don't work, they don't want to work, they don't even look for work...

I know the majority don't abuse the programs, I hope, but they're way too easy to get into...and the abusers know every trick.

An example of a program that does work is the WIC program. A specific type of food, very stringent (maybe too much so...) as to what types and sizes of food the person can get. This is what the EBT programs (food stamp) should be doing.

I have no issue with someone being on a program like this if it's necessary...same with welfare. You need it, you should be able to get it. But the criteria for getting on it should be stringent.

My humble opinion.