Central Iowa Times

Webster County saw a 1.9 percent decrease in the number of residents who participated in Iowa's Food Assistance Program from 2020 to 2021, according to a Webster Guide analysis of data from the state's Department of Human Services.

In 2021, 4,936 recipients (2,531 households) in Webster County participated in the Program compared to 5,034 recipients (2,561 households) in 2020.

Overall, $9,501,474 in food assistance payments were allocated to Webster County recipients in 2021.

In 2020, $6,731,413 was allocated for Webster County program participants.

Qualified recipients in the Program are eligible to receive financial assistance in the form of Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards, which then can be used to buy groceries. The Program is part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's larger Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Number of Food Assistance Program Participants in Webster County 2012-2021

Year	Number of recipients
2012	6,519
2013	6,669
2014	6,496
2015	6,205
2016	6,133
2017	6,018
2018	5,640
2019	5,034
2020	4,936
2021	4,678