Students On Food Stamps: Why it's on the Rise

         

                                                                      theinquisitr.com 

New York City resident Eric, 23, was standing in the line at Whole Foods buying a selection of treats from the deli aisle. Eric often shops at Whole Foods and to everyone else around him, he looks like a normal buyer. He walks to the teller and slips her an EBT dollar. Most college students cannot afford to buy from Whole Foods, yet Eric can through his Food Stamp and EBT income.

It’s no doubt that Eric is young, but according to him he got the idea to go on food stamps from peers. “I know about 7-10 other kids in the US and Canada that are on some sort of government aid, but that's just a rough estimate,” said Eric.  “I think I may actually have more friends on Food Stamps than that.” With a relatively easy process to apply, according to Eric, he signed up and started receiving aid the next day.  “I receive roughly $200 a month[in New York State Food Stamps] , which helps me pay for the majority of my essential groceries and often times meals from the Whole Foods salad bar and deli's that accept EBT,” said Eric.

Eric’s not the only one who has been benefiting. According to calculations released on last March by city officials, food stamps and tax aid kept many from slipping under the poverty line during the recession. The center said that the poverty rate would have been three percentage points higher without this federal aid.

In fact, because the government did not cut food aid, the city expanded their percentage rate, for people on food stamps, by 39 percent.   Dr. Levitan, featured in a report done by the New York Times last March said that the reason for such an increase was ‘”to bring in more people who are not the traditional welfare population, but are more the working poor.”’  Eric is not considered the working poor and his age certainly does not fit the norm for food stamps.  However, his kind is not as unlikely as one might think.

According to the NYC Food Bank Hunger Safety Net 2007 report, 57 percent of recipients for Emergency Food Programs are working-age adults (18-64). Approximately 4% of EFP participants are ages 18-29. This information is alarming, especially since the NYC Center for Economic Opportunity said that “The likelihood that someone will be poor falls dramatically as his or her level of education rises” in the CEO Poverty Measure 2005-2009 report.

The impact of going on food stamps at such a young age can be dramatic. “Tax aid and food stamps may be helping but they [young people using government aid] still need services such as therapy,” said Dr. Suzzane Feinstein, Ph.D, working in midtown Manhattan in Behavioral Health services.  “Transitioning into work and leaning off the government can be very taxing.”

Some universities are now opening services up for those students who are on food stamps or government aid.  “We have support groups and individual therapy sessions for those using food stamps,” said Claire Davis, Psychologist at NYU Health Center. “It’s not as uncommon as you may think. About 3% of our students are using food stamps.”

The number of students on food stamps at NYU may be directly correlated with the extra government help during the recession. According to a New York Times article released last March a number of factors drove the government to provide this extra aid. A 20 percent increase in the cost of rent from 2005 to 2008 was one of the biggest impacts on the poverty rate. Without food stamp benefits increased, the Center for Economic Opportunity calculated that the poverty rate would have been six percentage points higher in 2011.

Experts seem to agree with the report’s outcome. Sociological expert Dr. Dave Haines, graduate of Yale and sociologist working with Hunter College, Yale and Harvard, said “Basically, from my understanding of the recent report on food stamps and tax aid, we have made strides in the correct direction.” It seems as though most people are getting through this recession in ease. Eric is able to buy most of what he needs on his government aid plan, he said “my ‘paycheck’ [New York State Unemployment Insurance] is still pretty small, but it does allow me afford most of the essentials that aren't covered by my food stamps including public transportation, bills, and entertainment.”

The Center for Economic Opportunity reported that in the Current Population Survey, the official U.S. poverty rate now stands at 14.3 percent. This report, titled “Policy Affects Poverty” was brought on by Mayor Bloomberg in his effort to receive more valid, modern information regarding poverty in New York City. This information is crucial because the government’s official criteria regarding poverty dates back to half a century ago.

For the country, this could mean a lower poverty rate in the future. For Eric, this means he can continue to live securely. He never wants return to his old way where he often “lived off of anything that was cheap - so a lot of $1 pizza slices, $2 falafel sandwiches, $1 dumplings, macaroni and cheese; college kid stuff.”