Eligible food stamp recipients aren't signing up for them, study shows

Many people who need food stamps aren't signing up for them.

According to a study from the Saint-Louis National Reserve Bank, it found about one in five families do not sign up for food stamps even though they're eligible.

Researchers also found families with more volatile incomes are less likely to access the "SNAP" program because it’s harder to prove eligibility with the changing work hours.

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Experts say these stamps could make a huge difference in their lives.

"It’s extremely important. It makes the difference if you eat, or you don’t eat. And so it’s life or death for those people. They’d go hungry otherwise. They’d be hungry otherwise. In America, being hungry is unacceptable," said Mary Alice Theroux, who represents the Arizona Association of Manufactured Home, RV & Park Mode Owners.

Food stamps are adjusted based on inflation from year to year.