Oregon Public Broadcasting

Federal stimulus money is trickling down to low-income families in the Northwest. Beginning Wednesday, food stamp benefits are increasing by 13.6 percent nationwide.

In Oregon, that means $16-$24 more per month, per person. And in Washington, about $20 more.

Linda Stone with the group Children’s Alliance says it will immediately circulate more money through the economy. 

Linda Stone: “Families don’t hold onto those dollars. They get them, they go to the grocery store and they spend them. People then have freed up some of their cash money to purchase other essentials and, by the way, there’s sales tax on those. So everyone benefits by this kind of an economic stimulus.”

The food stamp increase will be good for 18 months.

Social service officials say food stamp recipients won’t need to do anything to have the extra money credited to their accounts.