[DonaldFisk]

I don't know of any country other than the US which gives food stamps to unemployed people. Elsewhere, they're given cash payments, and the alcohol abuse problem you mention is rare enough that food stamps aren't considered as an alternative. In the UK, there's housing benefit which might be similar to the US's Section 8. As rents/mortgage interest payments vary depending on where you live, it makes sense for this to be paid, directly to the landlord/bank, in addition to unemployment benefit.