More than 6 million people in the U.S. receive Food Stamps but have no cash income

The number of U.S. households on Food Stamps with no cash income continues to grow at an alarming rate, according to a new report from the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture.

The report, “Characteristics of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Households: Fiscal Year 2011,” indicates that the number of Food Stamps recipients with no cash income rose to more than 6.5 million in 2011. By comparison, 5.8 million U.S. residents received Food Stamps but had no cash income in fiscal year 2010, and 4.5 million Food Stamps recipients had no cash income in fiscal year 2009.

Food Assistance benefits to be cut in Ohio

Food Assistance benefits are about to drop sharply in Ohio, unless the federal government steps in to fix a huge problem.

The cut in benefits, which will go into effect on Jan 1, 2013, will vary for each household but could mean a loss of up to $50 in monthly food assistance for families. And in addition to hurting poor families, the cut will also have significant impact on grocery stores in the region and around the state.