Spending on food stamps has increased by $53.5 billion – an 89% increase – in the two pandemic years. By comparison, that’s how much the entire program cost in 2009 during the Great Recession.
Spending on the U.S. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program grew 88.5% from $60.3 billion in 2019 to $113.8 billion in 2021. Spending on the SNAP program had previously peaked at $79.8 billion in 2013 before declining for the next six years.
The average monthly benefit per person increased 68%, from $129.83 per person to $217.88 per person, from 2019 to 2021, according to figures from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service.
The federal program helps supplement the food budget of people who qualify. SNAP provides benefits to eligible low-income people through an Electronic Benefits Transfer card that can be used at stores to buy food.