Few Take Advantage of the Food Stamp Program

As many as 700, 000 people are eligible for food stamps in New York City, yet very few have applied. According to a recent FoodChange study covered by the Brooklyn Heights Courier, over one quarter of those who are entitled to but do not receive food stamps are immigrants. Many immigrants are afraid that application for food stamps may somehow endanger their immigration status, even though their status information cannot be shared with the immigration office. Low participation in the Food Stamp program can also be widely attributed to the current application process, which continues to be daunting, confusing, and overly complicated.