WASHINGTON, May 29 (UPI) -- Government data show fewer Americans are relying on federal relief programs for the first time since the official end of the recession three years ago.
Numbers of people relying on unemployment insurance began to decline in 2010, and in 2011 the number of welfare recipients began to follow suit, USA Today reported Tuesday.
During the last three years, the number of food stamp recipients swelled by 47 percent. As of February, officials saw the first noticeable decline.
The number of Americans under the poverty line grew during 2009-10. USA Today reported the downward trends could finally represent a decline in overall poverty.
Medicaid is the only safety-net program to remain at its peak usage, due to the decline of employer-sponsored health insurance and federal laws that keep states from reducing eligibility. However, usage has decreased in some states.
