Recent data show continued growth in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program use

This brief uses data from the American Community Survey to examine rates of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) receipt in 2011, with particular attention to changes since the onset of the recession, and to receipt by family composition, region, and place type (rural, suburban, and central city locations). It also explores SNAP receipt among households at particular risk for food insecurity. Authors Jessica Carson and William Meub report that 13 percent of all households reported receiving benefits in 2011. This represents an increase from 7.7 percent in 2007, reflecting both changes in need and policy. SNAP is increasingly the target of congressional budget cuts, despite the large number of Americans who rely on the program. The authors discuss the implications of potential budget cuts for families, including seniors, single parents, the poor, and those with disabilities, who rely on SNAP to meet their nutritional needs