Military Financial Woes—Part Two

August 1, 2008

Politicians have long decried the idea of military families on food stamps.  So much so, that the numbers have, in fact, been brought down from 12,000 military families in 1995 to 6,000 families in 1999.  The military noted that most of the families still on food stamps had 4 or more children.

Ironically, most of the more recent discussion of military families on food stamps is pressure to increase that number again.

In 2007 several bills were introduced with much fan-fare to increase the benefits of foods stamps—and, oh yes, provide for exclusion of combat pay in calculating food stamps thus increasing the number of military families on food stamps.  Many reservists, in particular, left jobs that allowed them to pay for their families housing and food for Iraq and Afghanistan, leaving home families that don’t always have enough to go around.   A similar bill was introduced and finally passed in 2008:  The Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008.

The military is concerned about this issue, too, and keeps asking for a system where the servicemembers who don’t live on base and thereby get a housing allowance do not have that housing allowance including in the calculations for food stamps.

Meanwhile, many military families supplement their income with food banks and expired coupons.  Military families can use at base commissaries expired coupons like you get in the newspaper or magazines for up to 6 months after their expiration date.

Lucky military families.