ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT | GOVERNMENT BENEFITS

Millions in Texas depend on direct federal aid

By MICHAEL A. LINDENBERGER
Washington Bureau mlindenberger@dallasnews.com

By TROY OXFORD
Staff Artist toxford@dallasnews.com

In one respect, at least, Texans are no different from other Americans: Plenty of them get government benets each month. Some are earned such as retiree payments and veterans benets and some are based on need, intended to keep hunger at bay. Whatever the source, all that direct aid means cash ready to spend. Heres how it stacks up.
States share of total federal assistance growing
The U.S. government paid $943 billion in direct assistance last year, down slightly from the year before. That total came from a host of programs, including Social Security payments, which took the lions share. Housing and food assistance, veterans payments and other programs triggered the balance.

SHARE OF FEDERAL ASSISTANCE CALIFORNIA

12% 10% 8% 6% 4% 2% 0
FY 01 FY 13 FY 01 FY 13 FY 01 FY 13 FY 01 FY 13 FY 01 FY 13

FLORIDA

TEXAS

NEW YORK

PENNSYLVANIA

9.5% 7.0% 6.6% 6.0% 4.6%

September snapshot: Food assistance to Texans

About 4 million Texans are members of families that qualify for food assistance. They get a dedicated debit card loaded each month with funds to help pay for food. Thanks to a 5 percent cut this month, the most a single person can receive is $189 per month. Many who qualify receive much less.

Social Security pays Texans more than $50 billion a year

The Social Security Administration paid out $790 billion in scal 2013, with most of that money, about $535 billion, going to retirees.

TOTAL SOCIAL SECURITY PAYMENTS (IN BILLIONS)

$80 $60 $40 $20 0 FY FY FY 11 12 13 FY FY FY 11 12 13 FY FY FY 11 12 13 FY FY FY 11 12 13 FY FY FY 11 12 13 CALIFORNIA FLORIDA NEW YORK TEXAS PENNSYLVANIA

TOP 10 COUNTIES IN STATE FOR SNAP RECIPIENTS*

Percentage County of SNAP recipients Hidalgo 33.3% Webb 32.5% Cameron 32.2% El Paso 25.0% Nueces 19.9% Bexar 18.4% Dallas 18.1% Harris 15.6% Tarrant 13.8% Travis 12.0%
*Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients for September

With large military footprint, state leads nation in veterans pay

The U.S. made $76 billion in direct payments to veterans in scal 2013, and another $5 billion to groups helping veterans. Most went to soldiers wounded during their service. Texans share was the highest in the land.

TOTAL VETERANS BENEFITS COLLECTED (IN BILLIONS)

$8 $6 $4 $2 0 FY FY FY 11 12 13 FY FY FY 11 12 13 FY FY FY 11 12 13 FY FY FY 11 12 13 FY FY FY 11 12 13 TEXAS CALIFORNIA FLORIDA NORTH CAROLINA VIRGINIA

SOURCES: Texas Health and Human Services Commission; usaspending.gov; fedspending.org

The bottom line

There are 16,400 stores in Texas that accept [food] benets. And theres a multiplier effect. For every dollar spent [on food stamps] you see about $1.70 added to the economy. The money allows families who use it to allocate more of their income for needs other than food, so they can pay their rent or buy a school bookbag in September. Its true that the recipients of federal benets spend that money, and it goes into the economy. But whats always forgotten is the invisible man. Every dollar spent on benets from the government was captured from some private individual or activity that had the money in the rst place. The government money came from someplace, or else its borrowed and will have to be taken from someone or some activity in the future. Theres no getting around the fact that billions spent each year by the federal government on benets to Texans amount to a redistribution of wealth. In some cases, the money is taken from a young worker and paid to an older retiree, other times its taxes taken from high-earners and paid out in food assistance to the poor. No matter how it is spread around, the assistance puts billions of ready-to-spend dollars into circulation in the Texas economy each year. Michael A. Lindenberger, Washington Bureau, The Dallas Morning News

Stacy Dean, vice president of food assistance policy, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Washington, D.C.

Chuck DeVore, vice president of policy, Texas Public Policy Foundation, Austin