Technical Appendices to Trends in Food Stamp Program Participation Rates: 1999 to 2005

This report is based on the March Current Population Survey and presents national participation rates for the Food Stamp Program (FSP) for fiscal year 2005. Of the 38 million individuals who were eligible for benefits in an average month in 2005, 25 million participated. The FSP served about 65 percent of all eligible individuals, but provided 80 percent of the benefits that all eligible individuals could receive. As a result, the program appears to be reaching the neediest eligible individuals. The report also notes that the national participation rate among individuals increased by nearly 4 percentage points between 2004 and 2005.