Food-stamp benefit decreased for Ohioans

COLUMBUS (AP) — About 1.8 million Ohioans will see their food-stamp benefits decrease slightly on Friday, which advocates for the poor say is going to hurt.

The 2009 economic stimulus bill temporarily boosted the federal food-stamp program for its 48 million recipients nationwide. The boosted benefits expire at midnight today, resulting in automatic 5.5 percent cuts to monthly distributions.

For a mother with two children, the reduction means about $29 less per month. For a family of four, it’s a cut of about $36 a month, to $632.

“Thirty six dollars is significant,” said Marilyn Tomasi, spokeswoman for the Mid-Ohio Food Bank. “It might not be significant for some, but it certainly is to a struggling family who is hungry. You could have a whole chicken dinner once a week for that.”