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OKLAHOMA CAPITOL -- Persons receiving Food Stamps in Oklahoma increased 25.4 percent in the last 12 months from 262,731 to 329,541, according to Oklahoma Department of Human Services June figures.
Numbers have been steadily increasing since May 2000 when the program hit an all-time low of 248,415 persons [105,370 households] receiving food stamps valued at $17.2 million. Two exceptions were in December 2000 and February 2001 when Oklahoma experienced severe ice storms and thousands of families became eligible for disaster food stamps due to the mass loss of spoiled food due to loss of electrical power.
March, 303,638 persons received food stamps. By June, the numbers were up nearly 26,000 to 329,541 persons in 134,007 Oklahoma households were receiving food stamps valued at $24.8 million. The average household received $184.80 in food stamps.
Most of the families receiving food stamps work, but are underemployed. Their incomes are below 135 percent of the 2002 federal poverty guidelines, which for a family of three is $20,277 annually -- that’s $9.75 an hour.
The Food Stamp program is 100 percent federally funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Services. OKDHS splits the administrative costs of running Oklahoma’s program 50-50 with the USDA.
Historically, the soundness of the economy has been an estimate of the number of food stamp participants going up or down. July and August numbers are pending, but similar signs of a steady increase.
While the program is still called the Food Stamp program, there are no paper stamps. The value of food stamps is distributed through Access Oklahoma, the state’s Electronic Benefit Transfer program.
Recipients use a debt-style card with a personal identification number in food markets to purchase food-related items, as approved by the USDA. Access Oklahoma has helped cut general administrative costs for the program as well as reduces the potential for misuse of food stamps that existed with the old paper food stamps.
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