US ''House of Representatives'' vote to cut food stamp benefits from 2014

US lawmakers have narrowly voted to cut food stamp benefits from next year despite a veto threat from the White House and opposition by lobby groups

The Republican-led House of Representatives passed the bill by 217-200. But it has little chance in the Democratic-held Senate

The bill would save $39bn (£24bn) over a decade, but affect four million people on the programme

It comes a day after census data showed 15% of Americans live in poverty.

An estimated one in seven Americans - most of them children, elderly or disabled - receive food stamps.

Note
A bill passed in the Senate in June cut food stamps by $400m a year, one tenth of the House cuts.
The two chambers will have to negotiate the differences between the plans before any cuts come into effect.