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Updated: 8:09 PM Jan 6, 2009
Food stamps
One out of every 10 Floridians is now receiving food stamps. In Bay County the number of people receiving food stamps has increased 43% in a year. Posted: 2:37 PM Jan 6, 2009Reporter: Whitney Ray  Food Stamps |
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7 Comments 
One out of every 10 Floridians is now receiving food stamps. In Bay County it's four out of ever 10 people. In Bay County the number of people receiving food stamps has increased 43% in a year.
The number continues to rise but the department distributing the stamps is facing budget cuts. More and more working families are depending of food stamps to make ends meet.
As the state’s unemployment rate skyrockets so does the need for food stamps. Three million calls poured into the state’s food stamp hotline last month.
Lee Ann Godwin helps people with their applications…. and listens to their stories.
“The tears, men and women, Single fathers coming in. It hurts their pride and their ego.”
The Department of Children and Families is trying to process claims with 3 thousand fewer people. New technology has helped some…but
George Sheldon, DCF Secretary there are still dlays.
“I know there is a lot of frustration in the public who can’t get through to the call centers.”
The call center has been so busy that more and more people have been stopping by their local offices to apply in person.
Work has slowed for horticulturalist David Lietz. For the past few months he’s been visiting the food stamp office. Over time he’s seen a change.
“There seems to be more people and just more middle class people.”
And with more members of the working class depending on food stamps, DCF hopes lawmakers will give them the money they need to extent their call center hours and pay overtime.
DCF is facing a 5 million dollar budget cut, but administrators hope a five million dollar award the department received in September can be used to bridge the gap.
Here’s a breakdown on all of Florida’s 67 counties and compares food stamp numbers with December 2007 and December 2008
Latest Comments
I agree Jamie..If you are on any type of Government funding you should have to submit to drug testing. I drug test people ever day and 90% of them are on disablity and medicaid..and I won't disclose how many fail..but it's over 50%
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Things are bad and getting worse. I agree with a comment I read a few weeks ago though. Make them pass a drug test before they can receive benifits. I had to pass one before I could get a job so I could pay taxes that pay them their benifits so why shouldn't they have too
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I agree if people need the help, but there are those who do not need the help. They are lazy and lie on the forms about the wages. The sit around making more babies and drama to gain a check or have rent paid in full or access to food stamps. This is their living. The food stamp program was put in place to help those get over bad times not to live off of for generations.
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