One in Six Americans Receives Government Aid

New studies show that more Americans are living in poverty now than in the past 51 years. One in six Americans is living in poverty. And as more Americans are in poverty, more are receiving government aid. According to research, one in six Americans receives some sort of aid from the government. Here are some examples:

* Medicaid: 50 million Americans receive Medicaid. These numbers have increased 17 percent since December of 2007.

* Food Stamps: 42 million Americans currently receive food stamps. That reflects a 50 percent increase since December 2007.

* Unemployment Insurance: 10 million Americans receive unemployment insurance. That’s nearly four times the number in December 2007.

* Welfare: 4 million Americans are on welfare, a jump of 18 percent since December 2007.

Obviously some of these numbers are overlapping. A person who receives food stamps may also be receiving unemployment insurance. But there is no doubt that the number of people receiving government aid has increased drastically in the last few years. The poverty rate jumped from 39.8 million in 2008 to 43.6 million in 2009, a number that could continue to rise as unemployment remains high and the housing crisis continues.