Food stamp costs swelled by states spending $1 on heating aid

By Bloomberg News

Published November 20, 2013 5:00am ET

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Food stamp costs swelled by states spending $1 on heating aid — Richmond Emergency Food Bank volunteer Abdul Olorode packs boxes with food to be handed out to needy people on Nov. 1, 2013 in Richmond, Calif. An estimated 47 million Americans saw their food stamp benefits cut as temporary relief to the federal program ends with no new budget from Congress to replace it. Under the new Supplemental Nutrition and Assistance Program, a family of four that used to receive $668 per month will see that amount cut by $36. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) | Justin Sullivan

Congressional critics looking to cut the nation’s food stamp bill — which has doubled in the past five years — are pointing to what some say is a loophole in the law:

If a state gives a resident as little as $1 a year in heating assistance, it allows that person’s household to automatically qualify for an average of $1,080 in additional food stamps annually from the federal government.

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Congress Congressional Budget Office Entitlements Farm bill Food Stamps Poverty Washington D.C.