Starting this year, more Vermonters are now eligible for food stamps.
Changes to the income and savings restrictions of beneficiaries will allow more people to apply for the federal program.
Joanne Heidkamp of the Vermont Campaign to End Childhood Hunger say the expansion will help both needy Vermonters and the economy.
The number of Vermonters relying on food stamps has jumped to a record high of more than 60,000 residents, up 7,000 from last year.