USDA says Y2K bug won't bite food-stamp recipients

WASHINGTON, Oct 1 (Reuters) - U.S. food-stamp recipients should have no problem receiving their benefits after January 1, the Clinton administration said on Friday, declaring the computers used in the $20 billion program Y2K compliant.

More than 20 million needy people receive food stamps from the U.S. government to buy food at grocery stores and at farmers' markets each year. More than half of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's budget is devoted to domestic feeding programs.

The department also said many of its other programs were set up to gracefully ease into 2000, a change that is presenting headaches because of old shortcuts that recorded the year with two digits only. This means that some computers may malfunction because they read "2000" as "1900."

Recipients in the School Lunch and in the Women, Infants and Children feeding programs should also see no problems in the new year, the department said.

The nation's food-safety and inspection systems also should be in the clear as well as computers run by Forest Service workers, a division of the USDA, the department said.

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It's Friday, Spin, Spin and more Spin.

Ray

-- Ray (ray@totacc.com), October 01, 1999

Answers

Hurray!

There's still time to declare the IRS compliant before the end of the day.

-- Dog Gone (layinglow@rollover.now), October 01, 1999.