Food stamp enrollment is down by an average 1 million people from fiscal 2013, say USDA data, to 46.6 million people for the first seven months of this fiscal year. The decline points to a 2 percent reduction in participation for the fiscal year ending on Sept 30. It would be the first decline in six years. Enrollment set a record at 47.6 million people in fiscal 2013, zooming from 26.3 million in fiscal 2007, before the recession of 2008-09.
The Congressional Budget Office forecast annual enrollment of 46.8 million this fiscal year. It says food stamp enrollment will continue to fall in coming years, dropping to 39.3 million in five years. House Republicans sought stricter eligibility rules for food stamps in the 2014 farm policy law. Some conservatives say they will try again next year.