The economic recovery plan includes a nice little $25 a week bump for unemployed folks — but for some it comes with a catch — they no longer qualify for hundreds of dollars a month in food stamp benefits. Whoopsies!

It seems that when the government raised the unemployment benefits — they forgot to raise the income cap for food stamp eligibility — and there’s nothing anyone can do about it.

From the AP:

The Georgia Department of Human Resources explained in a letter to [a recently laid off citizen] last month that, because of the stimulus, he was ineligible for food stamps. He now makes $1,538 a month – $21 too much for a family of two to qualify.
“We have to pay him that $25 a week,” said Brenda Brown, assistant commissioner at the Georgia Department of Labor. “And he doesn’t have the option not to accept it.”

He’s missing out on about $300 a month in food stamp benefits, and is now going to food pantries and has stopped paying his mortgage.

There are currently about 32.5 million people on food stamps according to the article.

STIMULUS WATCH: $25 check may cost you food stamps [Yahoo!] (Thanks, Pamela!)
(Photo:JimmyBionic)

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