Make 'em beg

That's one way to keep poor people from collecting meager rations:

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KCBS) -- More than half of the poor who are eligible for food stamps in Santa Clara County have not tried to apply, according to a new government survey.

Some $51 million set aside for food stamp benefits goes unused by Santa Clara County each year, according to Lynn Crocker with Second Harvest Food Bank.

“Some of it does have to do with the thought of going into a government office and filling out a bunch of paperwork. It’s always been a very time consuming process. Sometimes they’ve had to go back two and three times,” she said.

Acknowledging how challenging that situation can be for anyone without easy access to transportation, the county's has launched a new awareness campaign among the homeless.