Jump in California food stamp usage

Almost 3.5 million people in the state were collecting food stamps in September, a 17.7 percent increase from a year earlier and a one percent gain from the previous month. Still, that's just 9.4 percent of the population, far lower than the percentage of Californians who are eligible for the federal program. This has been a problem for years - low-income earners are either unaware that they can receive food stamps, or in some cases they're afraid of being deported if they apply (illegal immigrants are ineligible for food stamps unless there is at least one U.S. citizen in their household), Low usage could mean less federal aid coming into the state. It also means more pressure for the operators of soup kitchens and food banks, who already are facing huge demand. The percentage of people on food stamps is highest in the District of Columbia and lowest in Wyoming. Numbers are from the Department of Agriculture, via Real Time Economics.