全球智库信息集成服务系统

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) serves as the foundation of America’s national nutritional safety net. It is the nation’s first line of defense against hunger and offers a powerful tool to improve nutrition among low-income people. SNAP is the largest of the 15 domestic food and nutrition assistance programs administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). This report describes the characteristics of SNAP households and participants nationwide in fiscal year 2011 (October 2010 through September 2011). It also presents an overview of SNAP eligibility requirements and benefit levels in fiscal year 2011. The appendices provide detailed tabulations of household and participant characteristics for the nation and by State, as well as a brief description of the sample design and the sampling error associated with the estimates presented in the report.