Come on down! This week, all comers are welcomed to be “contestants” in a challenge simulating what it’s like to live on food stamps, or SNAP benefits as they’re now called. Elected officials and everyday citizens in one U.S. city are trying to get by with a food budget of just $5 daily, which is the average individual benefit.
Government Benefits
Almost Half of Americans Live in a Household Receiving Government Benefits
According to U.S. Census data, 48.6% of the population lived in a household that received some form of government aid in the second quarter of 2010, which rose slightly from the previous quarter — another sign of how dependent on federal aid Americans have grown during the Great Recession.