Some decry the fraud and abuse of the SNAP program – formerly known as food stamps – and while there is abuse of the system, many people rely on the program to provide food for their families.

Because Congress cannot agree on terms of the Farm Bill, an increase in the payments to recipients of Supplemental Nutrition Assistant Program (SNAP) expired on Friday, November 1st.

As a result, payments are down an average of $36 per month.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture that administers the program, forty-seven percent of those on the SNAP program are children under the age of 18.

Forty-one percent of those on the program work a regular job.

The largest segments of those on the program are Caucasian Americans.

The average household receives about $71 per week.

(AM 1180)