Residents receiving food stamps doubles

The number of Boundary County residents receiving food stamps has nearly doubled in the last three years, according to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.

In October 2006, 630 low-income residents were accepting federal assistance to feed their families. The most current data from September 2009 indicates 1,055 of the county’s 10,900 residents receive food stamps.

That number is expected to grow with last week’s closing of Welco Lumber Co. in Naples, where 93 were employed.

“If they were the only wage earner of the family, we will see an increase,” said Thomas Shanahan, public information director for the Department of Health and Welfare in Boise. “It’s something we want to make people aware of. We don’t want people losing their houses and we don’t want to force them into poverty.”

Statewide, 154,106 were receiving food stamps in September, up from 85,333 in October 2006. A record number of Americans — more than 36 million — now use food-stamp cards, the New York Times reported. That's an increase of more than 10 million people from two years ago.

The trend is Idaho has been similar.

“By August 2007, we started seeing food stamps increase statewide and it never really came down,” Shanahan said. “Every month, it has been up and that’s highly unusual. Food stamps usually follow employment opportunities. We have seasonal employment. In the winter, we have an increase in food stamps and in the spring it goes down.”

That hasn’t happened over the last two years, he said.

Shanahan encourages folks to apply for food stamps.

“If they are struggling to meet their rent then food stamps are there for them,” he said.

A family of four that makes $2,389 a month before taxes or $1,838 after taxes could qualify. The program also looks at rent, utilities, child support and a family’s other expenses, he said.

Under older guidelines, anyone in Idaho with assets of more than $2,000 could not qualify for food stamps, Shanahan said. That includes things like a savings account, a boat or an extra vehicle.

“Prior to June of this summer, we had a $2,000 limit,” he said. “At the time, we realized if people had some savings of $10,000 in the bank and if the only wage earner looses a job, it can go down pretty quick,” he said. “We decided to drop the asset test eligibility.”

To apply for food stamps, call 1-877-456-1233 or go to healthandwelfare.idaho.gov.