The report highlights increased participation in the program in view of the upcoming Farm Bill, which could see a $23bn reduction in funding if Senate and House Agriculture Subcommittee recommendations to the supercommittee are implemented.
“Because SNAP is included in the Farm Bill, this spending cut could include a significant portion of SNAP funding,” it said.
According to latest SNAP participation figures, the number of Americans enrolled on the program has continued to grow, with 45.8m taking part in August 2011, up 8.1% since last year, and more than 75% since 2006, when about 26,000 Americans took part.
Just under 10,000 people a day signed up to the program over the past year, but the rate of participation growth has slowed significantly, from about 20,000 a day in 2009 and 22,000 a day in 2010.
In order to qualify for the program, household income must be at less than 130% of the poverty threshold, roughly equivalent to $29,000 for a family of four.
The Carsey Institute reported that households that received SNAP benefits in 2010 had a median household income of $17,912, compared with the national median of $50,046, although 76% of families receiving SNAP had at least one employed member.
The average benefit was $289.61 a month in 2010, it reported, totaling $3,475.32 a year.
“Over one-third of the households that received SNAP still reported food insecurity,” it said. “Although SNAP access is widespread, it is clear that the program alone does not reach all those in need and that imposing stricter limits on SNAP allocations may move more households into food insecurity.
“Receipt of benefits is even more widespread among certain groups in need, suggesting that SNAP does reasonably well reaching its target populations. For example, more than one in five households with a disabled member relied on SNAP in 2010 (21.4 percent), with estimates reaching 38.1 percent in some places.”