Military Personnel and Food Stamps (CRS Report for Congress)
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| Release Date |
April 12, 2000 |
| Report Number |
RL30529 |
| Report Type |
Report |
| Authors |
David Burrelli and Andrej Divis, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
Summary:
In response to reports that members of the U.S. armed services qualify for and receive food
stamps,
there have been calls for a policy response to reduce or eliminate member eligibility. The desirability
of such a response has been questioned, however, on several grounds, including cost and its potential
affects on Department of Defense (DoD) personnel policy. This report examines the possible extent
of service-member participation in the food stamp program and provides background information on
several aspects of the policy debate.
Quantitative estimates of military participation and eligibility in the food stamp program vary
because of limited available data, different methodologies and specific assumptions about the
calculation of income. Recent estimates have varied from a few thousand to over twenty thousand.
Although the true difference in estimates between eligibility and participation is unknown, assuming
an excess of eligibles over participants would be somewhat consistent with the situation in the U.S.
population as a whole, where only about two-thirds of eligibles actually receive stamps.
Legislative proposals to reduce military food stamp eligibility in the United States were
considered for those stationed in the United States but voted down in the first session of the 106th
Congress. In the second session, Sen. McCain introduced S. 2322 which would provide
a subsistence allowance for food stamp eligibles.
Major concerns include whether or not participation in the program is primarily a result of
inadequate pay or other factors such as household size. Concerns also exist that policy intervention
could have unintended social and personnel affects on the military. Available policy options range
from including the value of in-kind benefits (most notably housing) in the income/eligibility
calculation, to mandating pay raises in every grade. The first approach would arguably equalize
conditions for members on and off base by eliminating the relative advantage on-base members have
in meeting eligibility criteria, which considers income in cash, but not in-kind benefits. Similarly
situated members living off-base receive housing allowances as part of their compensation packages,
which may increase their income sufficiently to make them ineligible for food stamps. Pay raises, by
contrast, would more directly ameliorate financial pressure on many or all families.
