What do food stamps do?

About 10% of people in the U.S. are “food insecure,” meaning they’re not sure where their next meal is coming from, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In 2019, 38 million people received SNAP benefits, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

Decades ago, food stamps were paper coupons presented to a cashier at a grocery store. Since the early 2000s, SNAP dollars are used through a government-issued debit card called Electronic Benefit Transfer, or EBT.

The benefits are adjusted annually. Last month, the SNAP dollars families get jumped 12.5%.