This report – the latest in an annual series – presents estimates of the percentage of eligible persons, by state, who participated in the Food Stamp Program in an average month in fiscal year 2004 and in the two previous years. This report also presents estimates of state participation rates for eligible “working poor” individuals (persons in households with earnings) over the same period. 

This report is the latest in a series on food stamp participation rates based on the March Current Population Survey, and presents national participation rates for fiscal year 2004.

An important measure of the Food Stamp Program’s performance is its ability to reach the people it is meant to serve. This report presents estimates of the food stamp participation rate among eligible working poor persons in each state. Working poor persons are defined as individuals living in house holds in which at least one member had earnings from a job. The participation rates are presented for an average month in fiscal years 2003 and 2002. These estimates can be compared to the state food stamp participation rates previously released for all eligible individuals in Reaching Those in Need: State Food Stamp Participation Rates in 2003 (October 2005).

Recently, the method used to calculate the number of individuals eligible for the WIC program was evaluated and an improved methodology was developed. These new, improved estimates provide better insight on the WIC program and should help improve the program in the future. The new estimates show that 13.5 million individuals were eligible for WIC and 7.7 million participated in WIC in 2003. This coverage rate of 57% is consistent with trends since 2000 and is similar to the coverage rate found in the Food Stamp Program.