Skip to main content
Skip to main content

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Due to the Radical Left Democrat shutdown, this government website will not be updated during the funding lapse.

President Trump has made it clear he wants to keep the government open and support those who feed, fuel, and clothe the American people.

Issues in Food Assistance-How Do Food Assistance Programs Improve the Well-Being of Low-Income Families?

  • by Joshua Winicki, Craig Gundersen and Dean Jolliffe
  • 10/1/2002
  • FANRR-26-9

Overview

The costs of USDA's three largest food assistance programs-food stamps, school means and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)-are easier to measure than the benefits of those programs. In 2000, the three programs' direct costs were $28 billion. As shown in this issues brief, the well-being of low-income families who participate in food assistance programs is enhanced by the alleviation of the severity of poverty, an increase in food security, satisfactory nutrient intake, and increases in household food expenditures.

Download