Oh, SNAP: The Persistent Stigma of Food Stamps

As the economic situation has worsened, the New York Times has been running articles in a series titled "The Safety Net" that has examined how the meager social welfare programs run by the U.S. government are benefiting those who have lost the means to provide for themselves and their families.

The most common subject of these articles is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as 'food stamps', and the declining stigma of receiving these benefits. Despite the name change and the surging enrollment during the ongoing recession (no, it's not yet over), it is not necessarily true that the stigma of it is declining.

An article published back in November in the series sunnily declares the fading stigma of food stamps but those quoted in the article show how ingrained the stigma remains, as shown by the distinction that the newly-enrolled make between themselves and those other people who have received benefits longer. I really have to quote one of these deserving beneficiaries at length.

Like many new beneficiaries, Mr. Dawson argues that people often abuse the program and is quick to say he is different. While some people “choose not to get married, just so they can apply for benefits,” he is a married, churchgoing man who works and owns his home. While “some people put piles of steaks in their carts,” he will not use the government’s money for luxuries like coffee or soda. “To me, that’s just morally wrong,” he said.

So, this guy is benefiting from SNAP but he is still very critical of it. He is apparently glad that the safety net is there for the deserving who don't abuse the system. Another interviewee states that he "always thought it was people trying to milk the system. But we just felt like we really needed the help right now.” These people gush about how glad they are to receive SNAP benefits and their statements imply that, no, they are not like those other people on food stamps.

Those other people include the half of all American children whose family will receive SNAP benefits at some point in their childhoods, as a recent study by Washington University found. If you break that average down, 90% of black children will be on SNAP, compared with 37% of white children. And I count myself among those other people.

Look at the your county on this map to see how many of your neighbors are benefiting. Maybe you are yourself and I am glad that you have the option. In the county where I spent most of my childhood, one in 7 people get SNAP benefits and about one in 3 children are on food stamps. Compared to other areas, that is not very high but SNAP enrollment has increase by 52% since 2007, an increase precipitated by the current recession.

It is difficult to imagine that there are those who oppose government-provided nutritional assistance, at all time, which would include times of economic hardship. Enter the Heritage Foundation. They maintain that it discourages work and marriage. This ideological position reinforces the false distinction between deserving and undeserving recipients.

And it perpetuates the unjustified stigma of food stamps.