Pandemic pushed 6M on food stamps

More than 6 million Americans went on food stamps between February and September last year as the pandemic-induced economic slowdown pushed more families into poverty.

Data released Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture showed a surge in food assistance benefits paid under the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program as the COVID-19 outbreak shut down segments of the economy.

By September, a total of 42.9 million Americans were on food stamps, up from 36.9 million in February, according to monthly data on the program. The department had stopped issuing updates in April, with the Trump administration citing technical problems with the data.

The totals don’t include assistance paid under the new Pandemic EBT Emergency School Meals Program, which provides benefits to families that ordinarily receive free or reduced price school meals.