FEBRUARY 18, 2010 ISSUE
Unemployment, Food Stamp Usage Up in Avery and Watauga Counties
According to data released January 29 by the North Carolina Employment Security Commission (NCESC), statewide unemployment currently sits at 10.9 percent. Of North Carolina’s 100 counties, unemployment rates in 86—including Watauga and Avery—increased in December 2009.
Unemployment in Watauga County as of December 2009 is 7.8 percent and unemployment in Avery County is 9.7 percent, according to NCESC.
Not surprisingly, food stamp usage has steadily risen as well.
According to a New York Times article published on November 28, 2009, the number of food stamp recipients has climbed by about 10 million over the past two years, resulting in a program that currently feeds 1 in 8 Americans and nearly 1 in 4 children.
An interactive map published along with the story broke down the percentage of food stamp recipients when compared to the total population of a county, for each county in the U.S. According to this map, in Avery County, 11 percent of the population and 23 percent of children receive food stamps—a 63 percent increase from 2007 figures.
In Watauga County, six percent of the total population and 14 percent of children in the county are on food stamps, which is a 28 percent increase from 2007.
The percentage of Watauga County residents living below the poverty line is estimated to be from 25.6 to 32 percent, according to data from the 2000 U.S. Census.
No data was available for Avery County at www.census.gov, which means that the percentage of residents below the poverty line was less than 20 percent as of the 2000 U.S. Census.
If that data holds true, more than a quarter of Watauga County residents would theoretically be eligible for food stamps, as opposed to the 7 percent currently receiving them.
Statistics on Avery County
The 9.7 percent unemployment rate in Avery County reflects 856 unemployed individuals of a labor force of 8,852, according to NCESC.
Tom Hughes, director of the Avery County Department of Social Services (DSS), said that Avery County’s population is about 18,500.
Of the current unemployment rate, Hughes said, “Percentage-wise, we have increased, but not as much as [unemployment] increased in other parts of the state.”
“Being an Appalachian community, even when times are at best, our unemployment number looks a little higher than the rest of the state,” said Truman Robbins, computer system administrator for Avery County DSS.
He explained that this is because some residents are “self-sufficient on farms, unlike city dwellers that are dependent on employment. I think we’re skewed to look a little higher,” he said, noting at the same time that “when times are bad, we don’t go up as much. We have a more stable unemployment rate [than many counties in the state].”
Don Benfield, supervisor of the food stamp program and Medicaid program for Avery County, said that the county has seen a steady increase in both food stamp applications and food stamp cases (families or households receiving food stamps).
“In 18 months, the caseload has increased 38 percent, which is pretty drastic,” Benfield said. “We’re a small county.”
In July 2008, Avery County had 688 cases, with a total of 1,365 participants receiving food stamps. By January 2010, the numbers had risen to 956 cases and 2,080 participants.
These numbers showed a 52 percent increase in participants, Benfield said.
“What that means to me is you’ve got more households with children coming in and being eligible,” he said.
Avery County has “issued a quarter-million dollars worth of food stamps each month” for its residents, Benfield said, adding that the exact amount has ranged from $230,000 to $250,000 per month.
Statistics on Watauga County
The 7.8 percent unemployment rate in Watauga County reflects the 1,812 unemployed individuals of a labor force of 23,360, according to NCESC.
The county’s population is about 40,000, according to the Watauga County DSS website.
“The current food stamp caseload is 1,367,” said Jim Atkinson, director of Watauga County DSS.
The program feeds about 2,900 people, as of January, he said.
This number translates into about 7 percent of the county’s population.
“We’re seeing unprecedented numbers of people applying for food stamps,” Atkinson said.
In addition to the food stamp program, Watauga County DSS runs CIP (Crisis Intervention Program), a child daycare subsidy program based on family income and the Medicaid program.
“My caseloads in Medicaid are at unprecedented levels as well,” Atkinson noted.
FNS Breakdown
The food stamp program, officially titled Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) is a federally run program that is based on income per month and family size.
For a family unit size of one, for example, the gross income cannot exceed $1,174 per month. For a household of two, income cannot exceed $1,579 per month.
Anyone who wishes to apply must go to the county’s DSS office and fill out an application.
“They can take the application with them and bring it back,” Atkinson said.
The next step in the application process is an interview—“there is certain income verification we need to have,” he said.
About a month after applying, those accepted by the program will receive an EBT card, which is like a debit card, by mail.
“Benefits are electronically placed on that card every month,” Atkinson said, until the application must be renewed.
For more information, click to www.ncdhhs.gov/dss, call the Avery County DSS at 828-733-8230 or call the Watauga County DSS at 828-265-8100.
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