More Tennesseans applying for food stamps

About 407,000 households ‘ nearly 6 percent more families than during the same period in 2007 ‘ applied for food stamps last month in Tennessee.

The Congressional Budget Office, the financial analysis arm of Congress, predicts 28 million Americans will be enrolled in the program by next year, up from 26.5 million in 2007.

The increase in food stamp applicants is being blamed on growing unemployment rates and rising gas and food prices.

Tennessee lawmakers in Washington say they hope to preserve food stamp funds, which could be affected by the $280 billion farm bill that Congress must decide to approve or not by Friday.

The lawmakers say they worry funding for food stamps, food banks and other nutrition programs could be squeezed as provisions to increase farm subsidies and farm disaster assistance add billions of dollars to the legislation.

“I’m a staunch opponent of reducing the food stamp funding,” said Rep. Lincoln Davis, D-Tenn., a member of the House Agriculture Committee. “We’re seeing more and more people get eligible (for food stamps) because of the loss of jobs and the economic downturn.”

The program was created in the 1960s to help feed low-income families. Eligibility is determined by taking into account income levels, household expenses and asset holdings. The average recipient gets $99 a month.

Poverty and nutrition experts contend food stamps don’t go as far as they used to. They note the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated monthly grocery costs for low-income families rose 7.2 percent last year, while the average food stamp benefit grew only 4.8 percent.

Richard Dobbs, who directs food stamps policy for the Tennessee Department of Human Services, said demand for food stamps has grown steadily since 2001.

“You can pretty much map the food stamps participation over time,” Dobbs said. “Changes in the program and changes in the economy, they pretty much mirror one another.”

For instance, when fuel prices went up last July, the number of families receiving food stamps grew from 391,456 in July to 398,687 in November.