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Food Stamp Usage Soars In Mass.

BOSTON (CBS) – The number of people on food stamps in Massachusetts has increased by 86.4 percent since the beginning of the recession, according to a new report in the Federal Reserve of Boston's Communities & Banking Magazine.

The report says that in 2010, the number of people relying on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in Massachusetts rose to more than one in 10 people.

The report, by University of Minnesota Economics researcher Ben Senauer notes that although Massachusetts saw a steep increase in people relying on SNAP benefits, the percentage of recipients was still below the national average of 13.1 percent.

Nationwide, the government went from spending $30.4 billion on SNAP in 2007 to $71.8 billion in 2011.

The report theorizes that, similar to the ending of past recessions, participation will decline in the coming years and that price tag will decrease.

To receive SNAP benefits, a household's net monthly income cannot exceed the federal poverty level.

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