The number of Minnesotans receiving government assistance to buy food has increased significantly in the past five years amid tough economic times, according to a new state report.

Since 2003, the number of Minnesotans receiving federal Food Support has increased 15 percent, according to the state Department of Human Services report. In the year between December 2006 and December 2007 alone, federal Food Support program cases in Minnesota increased 6 percent.

State Sen. John Marty, DFL-Roseville, said the report shows that Minnesotans are being hit hard by the difficult economic times.

“It suggests what I think is no surprise, which is people are hurting more than ever. We’ve always had people on Food Support, but the demand has grown in recent years,” said Marty, who is co-chairman of the Legislative Commission to End Poverty in Minnesota by 2020.

The report – “Characteristics of December 2007 Minnesota Food Support Program: Cases and Persons” – is available online at the DHS website www.dhs.state.mn.us.

And it provides information about the wide variety of people in Minnesota who receive Food Support, ranging from senior citizens to families with children.

In the one-month timeframe of December 2007, a total of 145,992 households received Food Support, according to the report. That was an increase from 138,613 households that received Food Support in the month of December 2006.

In all during fiscal 2007, Food Support paid $291.4 million in benefits to Minnesotans. That was up from $279.7 million in fiscal 2006. The U.S. Department of Agriculture pays for Food Support.

But not everyone qualifies for federal food assistance.

In 2007, the Minnesota Legislature appropriated $213,558 to people who didn’t qualify for Food Support but qualified for the Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP).

Chuck Johnson, the state Department of Human Services assistant commissioner for children and family services, said the report shows a significant increase in the Food Support caseload, even after accounting for population increases.

Some of the increase is attributable to DHS’s outreach efforts to make senior citizens and other groups aware of Food Support, Johnson said. But he added that the economic recession earlier this decade and the current economic downturn have caused a greater demand for Food Support.

“I think it’s a significant increase, and part of it is the economy,” Johnson said.

Food Support is Minnesota’s name for the federal Food Stamp program. Benefits are provided by an electronic debit card (EBT), unlike in the past when people used Food Stamp coupons.

Through a federal waiver, Minnesota provides Food Support to Minnesota households enrolled in MFIP. MFIP is Minnesota’s welfare program and is paid for by the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program.

Other Food Support recipients are “stand-alone” recipients who receive Food Support but aren’t enrolled in MFIP. The two categories combined are the total Food Support caseload.

The average Food Support-eligible adult in a family household in December 2007 was 33 years old and had an 8-year-old child. Nearly three-quarters were female and 69 percent had at least a high school diploma, according to the report. Forty-seven percent had never married, but 30 percent were married and living with a spouse.

In December 2007, nearly 60 percent of households receiving Food Support were white and 23 percent were black, compared with MFIP-eligible adults, of whom 38 percent were white and 38 percent were black.

When the MFIP cases are not counted, the stand-alone cases grew by 39 percent between December 2003 and December 2007, and by 8 percent from December 2006 to December 2007.

For the second year in a row, there were more children eligible for stand-alone Food Support than MFIP. In all, 80,088 children were eligible for Food Support and 62,852 children for MFIP. Since December 2006, the number of children who received Food Support increased by 10 percent, while the number of children who received MFIP increased by 2 percent.

Johnson noted that the number of cases where people enrolled in MFIP received Food Support has declined slightly. But the decline has been offset by the need among people who aren’t on MFIP.

These are families who “are working but still need Food Support or health care like MinnesotaCare or tax credits like the earned income credit to patch together their family’s budget,” Johnson said.

The Legislative Commission to End Poverty plans to forward recommendations on addressing poverty to state legislators by Dec. 15. Marty said the recommendations will bring together different policy areas that have an impact on low-income Minnesotans, ranging from health care to transportation. Marty said the growing demand for Food Support indicates that lawmakers need to find a solution to the burden of food costs.

“It suggests all the more why we have to address poverty issues. I don’t think most Minnesotans feel it’s acceptable for people to go hungry. This is just one more indication that the trends are going the wrong direction,” Marty said.