Since there has been a lot in the news about the budget deal and food stamps, I thought it might be worthwhile to have some data to inform the discussion. This is the Federal Government’s page on eligibility for food stamps (SNAP) before any changes were made.

The maximum income after deductions (for child care expenses, medical expenses, and some other expenses) for receiving food stamps is the poverty line. The maximum income before deductions is 130% of the poverty line.

The maximum benefit for one person is $189 per month (you must be below the poverty line by quite a bit to get the maximum). This represents $6.30 per day for food. The maximum benefit for a family of four is $632 or $5.27 per person per day.