Gov't encourages retailers to welcome food stamps

Attention food stamp recipients: Your business is appreciated.

The Agriculture Department announced Wednesday it will encourage grocery stores and other retail outlets that accept food stamps to post signs reading "We Welcome SNAP Benefits." The move is part of an effort to decrease the stigma of using government food assistance in a tough economy.

Attempts to reduce such stigmas have been ongoing for years. SNAP is an acronym for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, a recent name change designed to get away from the loaded phrase "food stamps." Electronic Benefits Transfer, or EBT, is an electronic way of paying for items so it just appears that a customer is using a credit card.

The new signs are also meant to encourage a bit of economic stimulus. According to USDA, which oversees domestic food assistance, every $5 in new SNAP benefits generates as much as $9.20 in economic activity. Almost all benefits are redeemed within one month.

Political Coverage Powered by You

Your gift today creates a more connected Minnesota. MPR News is your trusted resource for election coverage, reporting and breaking news. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.

"Underscoring that SNAP benefits are welcome, rather than merely accepted, signals an important change in the way both retailers and program participants view these benefits," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.

Government food aid has grown in record levels over the last several years as the economic downturn has hurt families' bottom lines. Estimated spending on all domestic food assistance programs has increased more than 80 percent over the last three years, and the SNAP program served more than 6.6 million additional households between October 2006 and February 2010.

The Agriculture Department is also introducing an online tool to help recipients find stores that accept the benefits. More than 190,000 outlets participate in the program, a 27 percent increase in the last seven years.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)