The Stamp That's Never Worn Off

Across the country, in state food stamp agencies and local offices where the hungry apply for assistance, people have rallied arguments to banish the phrase "food stamps."

Number one: There haven't been stamps since 1943. After food stamps (1939 to 1943) came coupons (1961 to 2004) and then cards, but everyone kept saying "food stamps." Number two: Everyone uses electronic debit cards anyway, by a 1996 order of Congress. And three: Enough with the shame.

The renaming effort got a boost from research by government and nonprofit organizations showing that stigma and misinformation were two of the main reasons given by people who qualified for food stamps but did not use them -- two of every five eligible people nationwide, according to a recent Agriculture Department estimate.

The Food Stamp Program could be renamed next year if the Agriculture Department, which has been accepting ideas for new names, submits the issue to Congress in time for its vote on reauthorization of the farm bill. Lawmakers also could consider it as a separate issue.

"The argument originally for food stamps was that people using them should be identified and they should feel bad about it," said Mark R. Rank, a professor of social welfare at Washington University in St. Louis and author of several books on public food assistance.

"That's been consistent for a very long time. . . . So this is really interesting about trying to go the other way. We're actually trying to make it more accessible than it has been. That's an interesting idea because it really goes against the grain."

The Agriculture Department's forums have yielded hundreds of ideas for new names, though many people simply indicated support for the department's suggestions: Food Support Program, Nutrition Support Program, Food and Nutrition Program. The department has not drawn up a list of finalists.

"What we're doing is, we're focusing on what words people like" in place of food stamps, said John Knaus, who heads a branch of the department involved in the effort. "So far, 'food' is still a popular choice."

•	The Stamp That's Never Worn Off Backers of Change Say Food Program's Name Has Outlived Its Accuracy, Nursed Stigma Washington Post, Friday, April 14, 2006 Byline: Jennifer Lenhart, Washington Post Staff Writer