A little more than a year out from the reinstatement of Pennsylvania's controversial asset test to help determine food stamp eligibility, the numbers of those getting the help have dropped by 33,000.

That may look like a lot of people, but it's only about 2 percent of the total number of people in the state receiving assistance through the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the program that was once known as food stamps.Even with the slight drop from those weeded out by the asset test, the numbers of people using SNAP has continued to rise.Between 2003 and 2012, the number in Carbon County has increased about 2 percent, from 3,592 to 3,664. In Schuylkill County, the number rose about 21.8 percent, from 8,806 to 10,728. In Monroe County, it rose about 15.9 percent, from 8,804 to 10,210, according to the state Department of Public Welfare.Statewide, the numbers grew over the same period from 855,887 to 1,812,599- about 14.09 percent of state residents.Last year 14.09 percent of Pennsylvanians were getting help from SNAP to put food on the table. In Carbon, 5.6 percent of residents get SNAP. 5.98 of Schuylkill County residents get the help, and 5.21 percent of Monroe County residents receive SNAP benefits.Across the nation, about one in every seven people use SNAP. Last year, the program cost about $80 billion.KEEPING THE NUMBERS IN CHECKThe state in 2008 eliminated its asset test in light of the severe economic recession, which threw thousands of people out of jobs. Gov. Tom Corbett reinstated the test in 2012."The asset test is a commonsense approach to protecting the integrity of the welfare system. SNAP resources are limited and should be spent on the needy, not lottery winners or other asset rich and cash poor individuals.There are no current plans to change the parameters of the asset test at this time," said DPW spokeswoman Carey Miller.About 2,000 of 575,881 applications were rejected for SNAP benefits from June through December of 2012 because they had "excess resources," according to DPW.The bulk of the rejections, 52.4 percent, were because the applicant's assets were between $10,001 and $50,000. Another 34.5 percent were rejected because the applicant's assets totaled between $5,500 and $10,000. Another 8.4 percent were rejected for assets between $50,001 and $100,000, and 4.6 percent were rejected for assets over $100,000.In addition, about 2,000 people lost SNAP benefits between June and December of 2012 because of excess resources.In November, an estimated 1.8 million SNAP participants in the state will see their help diminish when a provision of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that had temporarily increased SNAP funding during the recession expires.A GROWING CONCERNAccording to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the program, the percentage of Pennsylvania households that were "food insecure" jumped from 9.8 percent in 2003-5 to 12.5 percent in 2009-11. The percentages of households deemed "very low food insecure rose from 2.9 percent to 5 percent over the same period.Nationally, almost a quarter of United States residents more than 78 million people live in "food insecure households.The 2008 economic recession is considered by many to be the overwhelming reason for the jump in SNAP beneficiaries. Even as the nation recovers, jobs that pay well are in short supply; many people work two or more part-time or low-paying jobs to make ends meet.About 38 percent of SNAP participants are working, said DPW spokeswoman Anne Bale."As of April 2013 are 635,033 nondisabled people who are working and also utilizing the SNAP program," she said. "This equals out to about 38 percent of the people on the SNAP program, which still stands at about 1.8 million people statewide."Nationally, about 41 percent of SNAP participants working, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.Those who have jobs may consider themselves fortunate. The state's unemployment rate as of June stood at 7.8 percent. In Carbon County, it was 9 percent. Schuylkill's was 9.2 percent, and Monroe's 9.6 percent.The need for help to put food on the table is evident to those doing the helping.Stanley Haupt, director of Shepherd House Food Pantry, said he's seeing an increase in need. The organization, which has nine pantries throughout Carbon County, provided a total 26,371 meals in June. volunteers have said the pantries, faced with greater need and few government dollars, are struggling to provide enough to eat.In Lansford, Rita Trucios has established "Feed The People," an organization which provides free meals at various locations in the Panther Valley. She began the program after seeing that families who visited the Shepherd House Food pantry in Lansford still had trouble finding enough to eat.A summer lunch program launched by the state Department of Education's Summer Food Service Program and the Panther Valley School District has served free lunches to children in Lansford, Coaldale and Summit Hill.As of Thursday, "we served just over 4,400 meals, with three sites averaging 120 meals a day," said organizer Debra Ranck.That's up from 2,000 lunches served last year, the first year of the program. the lunches will continue to be served through Aug. 16 at Trinity & St. Phillips Episcopal Church, 5 E. Ridge St. in Lansford; Christ Redeemer Church, 151 Third St., Coaldale; and the Heritage Center, 1 W. Hazard St., Summit Hill.According to the state Department of Education, 60 percent of the school district's students qualify for free or reduced price lunches.