Number of Oklahomans Receiving Nutrition Benefits Increases

OKLAHOMA CAPITOL -- The arrival of 2010 brought another increase in the number of Oklahomans who receive food benefits; however, current data appears to reflect the monthly rate of increase is slowing.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as Food Stamps, is administered by the Oklahoma Department of Human Services.

The number of people receiving SNAP increased by 1,547 persons to a total of 567,669 persons in January 2010. There were 566,122 persons receiving SNAP in December 2009. Eighty percent of SNAP recipients are children or adults who are employed but don’t earn enough income to feed their families.

Previous monthly increases in SNAP recipients had reached a record of 17,713 from June 2009 to July 2009 alone, but since November 2009, the overall rate of increase appears to be slowing. From October 2009 to November 2009, there were 14,123 people added to the SNAP rolls. The increase from November 2009 to December 2009 was 5,011 persons. The increase from December 2009 to January 2010 was the lowest month to month jump since February 2009.

“These figures represent an unprecedented rate of growth within SNAP and since the effects of the national economic crisis were late to arrive in Oklahoma, it will be some time before we see an improvement in the state’s overall economic condition,” said OKDHS Director Howard Hendrick. “The figures released today are a hopeful sign of improvement.

“We are also encouraged that our staff continues to accurately determine the eligibility of record numbers of persons with the lowest error rate in our region and the lowest error rate in state history. We are also maintaining prompt and timely service. Other states have seen their error rates double and have simply not finished the work necessary to keep their citizens fed,” he added.

The United States Department of Agriculture funds the SNAP; no state funds are required. The monetary value of SNAP benefits in Oklahoma for December 2009 was $73.5 million. These federal funds benefit a large number of Oklahoma retailers.

The recent increases date back to the summer of 2008. Until those increases began, the previous record had been 443,045 SNAP persons in December 2005.

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