The $13 billion boost in food stamp benefits in the new coronavirus aid bill isn't some kind of giveaway to people who are poor — it's some of the best stimulus government money can buy.

Economists say the new increase for food stamps, known as SNAP, for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, through June wouldn't just help those going hungry during the pandemic. It would also boost the economy more than other kinds of stimulus spending.

Every dollar spent on SNAP turns into $1.73 in economic activity, compared to $1.36 for every dollar spent on federal aid to state governments and $1.29 for every dollar allocated for a payroll tax holiday, according to Moody's Analytics researchers.

Meanwhile, cutting the corporate tax rate yields a paltry 30 cents per dollar.

"Every dollar in SNAP benefits boosts the economy," said Luis Guardia, president of the nonprofit Food Research and Action Center. "It helps strengthen the existing food supply and the mechanisms that support that."

Because people spend food stamps quickly and in their communities, which are also likely to be economically distressed, the program has a multiplier effect, boosting local businesses and economies.

The U.S. Agriculture Department found that SNAP spending has 10 times the job-creation impact of other transfer payments or federal expenditures, particularly in rural areas.

Marc Jones, CEO of Homeland Stores, a chain of 80 grocery stores in Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas and Georgia, said his "food stamp business has increased noticeably" since the pandemic began.

On average across stores, the number of purchases made with food stamps has grown by 35 percent since the start of the pandemic. But in their most affected stores, food stamp usage increased by nearly 170 percent this quarter compared to last year.

"We work with our regional and local food banks quite a bit. We hear from them that they're seeing unprecedented need," Jones said.

In April, the program helped nearly 43 million Americans a month afford nutritiously sufficient diets, according to the latest government data.

SNAP benefits are based on the Agriculture Department's Thrifty Food Plan, which calculates food costs of about $40 a week for single adults, or $134.50 for a family of four.

The budget assumes shoppers can buy in bulk to get lower prices. That isn't always possible for families who live paycheck to paycheck.

Brandi Wright of Van Buren, Missouri, a mother of two, said she was facing eviction and feared "being put out on the street" before she connected with charitable aid and SNAP benefits.