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GUEST: Greg Speeter, Executive Director of the National Priorities Project

A new study released earlier this week found that half of the US’s poor are not getting the food stamps for which they are entitled. The numbers varied state-by-state with the District of Columbia having the highest participation rate at 72%, and Nevada having the lowest rate at 32%. The food stamp program was founded in 1964 and run by the Department of Agriculture. It is the largest of the federal government’s food and nutrition programs. The study, conducted by the National Priorities Project, cited various reasons for why the food stamps program was so under subscribed, including the stigma of government benefits, eligibility rules, and a lack of information about the benefits.

For more information, visit www.nationalpriorities.org.