Food stamps

The number of summer meals served last July increased by 160%. And this summer, those benefits will be extended.

Advocates say the food assistance increase should help reduce food insecurity for households that qualify.

The Trump administration's plan would have ended food stamps for nearly 700,000 unemployed people.

Claire Babineaux-Fontenot of Feeding America said about 40% of the people the organization is serving have never before relied on the charitable food system.

With the pandemic, there are now 43 million people signed up for food assistance through SNAP.

When the pandemic began, the federal government made it easier for states to approve people for SNAP, but that flexibility is ending this month, raising concerns that more people will go hungry.

More than six million people signed up for food stamps in just three months, more than in the first 17 months of the Great Recession.

Unemployment is at historic lows but some workers still face hurdles to work.

The new rules will require more people to work at least 20 hours a week to receive benefits.

Walmart and Amazon are now accepting Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, commonly known as food stamps, for online grocery delivery in New York.