California Food Stamp Participation, Second To Last In US
According to federal estimates released Wednesday, California ranks second to last in the nation as only half of all eligible Californians received food stamps in 2008, placing our state well below the national average of 66 percent, reports LA Now. CA officials dispute calculation methods and assert the figures are outdated.
Said Maricela Rodriguez, spokeswoman for the California Department of Social Services, “The information is based on 2008 data which is three years old, and it doesn’t reflect the impact of some of the recent program changes that were made to increase the access of needy eligible families and adults,” reports LA Now.
In October 2010, more than 3.5 million Californians received the benefit, nearly 46% more than in October 2008. However it is unclear whether benefit enrollment has grown in step with the number of people who now qualify.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has urged the state to simplify the program's administrative policy. "California is the only state that requires most recipients to report their income every three months. Most states have reduced reporting requirements to twice a year, which federal officials say has cut the workload and helped needy families avoid losing benefits because of clerical errors, notes LA Now. California also requires food stamp applicants to be fingerprinted.
Assemblyman Felipe Fuentes (D-Sylmar) introduced a bill that would eliminate the fingerprinting stipulation and cut back income reporting to twice a year. Citing fraud concerns and the financial burden of switching to a new system, former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed similar bills. Jerry Brown, has not said whether he would sign such changes into law, reports LA Now.
Currently, resources to help LA County residents with their applications are available at food pantries, hospitals, churches and a new mobile office van with an online application in the works.