Promoted By the Government, Food Stamps Now at Record Levels

Dependency is cool!

MADISON – Another month, another record for food stamp participation in the land of the free.

But, oh SNAP! Did you know the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is pumping billions of dollars into the nation's economy, according to the USDA. While the economic multiplier is seeded with billions in federal tax money, the government agency notes the impact on the U.S. economy could be more pronounced if only the millions of people eligible not availing themselves of SNAP took advantage of the taxpayer-funded program.

A record 47,791,996 people received SNAP benefits in December 2012, the final month of the first quarter in the fed's fiscal year, according to USDA data. That's an increase of nearly 1.28 million stamp collectors from December 2011. Household participants climbed by more than 900,000, to 23,064,554.