North Iowa Reporter

Hancock County saw a 6.8 percent decrease in the number of residents who participated in Iowa's Food Assistance Program from 2020 to 2021, according to a Hancock Guide analysis of data from the state's Department of Human Services.

In 2021, 620 recipients (286 households) in Hancock County participated in the Program compared to 665 recipients (288 households) in 2020.

Overall, $1,172,528 in food assistance payments were allocated to Hancock County recipients in 2021.

In 2020, $840,916 was allocated for Hancock 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 Hancock County 2012-2021

Year	Number of recipients
2012	1,036
2013	1,022
2014	874
2015	785
2016	791
2017	782
2018	735
2019	665
2020	620
2021	632