Section 7.2.1

America's Second Harvest became Feeding America in 2008. This study was published prior to that name change in 2001.

7.2.1 - Reasons Why Clients Never Applied for Food Stamps

Clients who had not applied for food stamps were asked why they or their households never applied for food stamps. Table 7.2.1 shows the results.

 

Table 7.2.1
REASONS WHY CLIENTS NEVER APPLIED FOR FOOD STAMPS
Reasons Why Clients or Their Households Never Applied for Food Stamps1 Pantry Client Households Kitchen Client Households Shelter Client Households All Client Households
Ineligibility2        
Don't think eligible because of income or assets        
All clients 33.3% 25.4% 18.5% 31.5%
Clients with income 130% of the federal poverty level or lower 21.4% 13.2% 12.4% 19.9%
Clients with income higher than 130% of the federal poverty level 7.1% 9.4% 5.1% 7.3%
Unknown 4.7% 2.7% 1.1% 4.3%
Don't think eligible because of citizenship status 3.9% 1.8% 1.8% 3.5%
Eligible for only a low benefit amount 3.0% 3.3% 0.3% 2.9%
SUBTOTAL3 39.3% 30.1% 20.4% 37.1%
Inconvenience        
Don't know where to go or who to contact to apply 4.5% 2.6% 3.7% 4.2%
Hard to get to the food stamp office 16.7% 18.3% 18.2% 17.0%
Application process is too long and complicated 5.4% 4.8% 1.6% 5.1%
Questions are too personal 2.7% 4.8% 14.4% 3.6%
Food stamp office staff are disrespectful 2.8% 1.1% 1.0% 2.4%
Food stamp office is unpleasant or in unsafe area 7.2% 6.9% 3.5% 7.0%
SUBTOTAL 33.5% 34.5% 41.1% 34.0%
No Need        
No need for benefit 1.9% 0.9% 0.3% 1.7%
Others need benefits more 2.0% 0.7% 0.3% 1.7%
Need is only temporary 1.0% 0.3% 0.3% 0.8%
SUBTOTAL 3.9% 1.5% 0.8% 3.4%
Social Stigma        
Feel embarrassed applying for benefits 2.6% 0.9% 1.2% 2.3%
Family or friends do not approve of my receiving benefits 0.5% 0.1% 0.5% 0.4%
Dislike relying on the government for assistance 3.9% 3.8% 2.1% 3.8%
Feel embarrassed using benefits 2.4% 1.7% 0.2% 2.2%
SUBTOTAL 7.7% 5.7% 3.3% 7.2%
Other        
Planning to apply, but not yet applied 3.9% 4.0% 9.3% 4.2%
Other 10.5% 17.9% 25.1% 12.2%
SAMPLE SIZE (N) - Clients or their households who never applied for food stamps 7,855 2,002 900 10,757

Source
This table was constructed based on usable responses to Question 38 of the client survey.

Notes
All usable responses were weighted as described in Chapter 3 and in the Technical Appendix volume to represent all emergency food clients of the A2H network. The sample sizes (N) also include missing data.

Missing, don't know, and refusal responses combined are 10.4% for pantry clients, 8.6% for kitchen clients, 6.4% for shelter clients, and 9.9% for all clients.

1. Multiple responses were accepted.

2. See Appendix B for food stamp eligibility criteria.

3. The subtotal in this table indicates the percentage of people who provided one or more component items as their responses; thus it may differ from the sum of component items.


Reasons for having not applied for food stamps include:

  • Overall, 37.1% of the clients who had not applied for food stamps did not do so because they believe they are not eligible; 34.0% because it is too much hassle; 3.4% either because there is no need or because they think others would need the benefits more; and 7.2% because there is social stigma associated with food stamps.
  • 31.5% of the clients indicated income above the eligible level as a reason for having not applied for food stamps.
  • That 31.5% was broken down into two categories: those who had an income that is at or below 130% of the federal poverty level (19.9%); and those who had an income that is higher than 130% of the federal poverty level (7.3%).16,17