Some 42 million people received food stamps according to the latest count by the government, roughly 5 million people, or 14 percent, more than before the pandemic took hold in March 2020. Congress temporarily increased benefits 15 percent in response to the pandemic, a boost that is set to expire Sept. 30.
Before the pandemic, around 37 million people received SNAP benefits each month to help them buy groceries. Enrollment surged to a peak of 42.9 million people last July and was 42 million in February, the most recent month in a USDA database. The average benefit in February was $215 per person.
SNAP enrollment is highest during times of economic distress. The jobless rate was 6.2 percent in February, similar to the current rate of 6.1 percent last month. A Census Bureau survey indicated a hunger rate of around 11 percent in February, according to an analysis by Northwestern University professor Diane Schanzenbach; the rate was 8.7 percent in early May.