A majority of the state employees who receive federal assistance do so through the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps.

The number of state employees receiving food stamps has more than doubled in the past two years, from 856 employees in 2011 to 1,898 employees in 2013, according to the state human resources department. In 2007, no state employees received food stamps.

There has also been a jump in state workers receiving Medicaid benefits — from 97 in 2011 to 729 in 2013.

The number of employees receiving funding under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program has jumped from 12 to 88, while 575 employees qualified for energy assistance from the federal government in 2013.

﻿This month, projections of a $2.4 billion revenue shortfall over the next two years forced McAuliffe and state lawmakers to scrap a proposed 2 percent raise for state employees, perhaps making it more likely that additional state workers will need to rely on the safety net of federal assistance programs to make ends meet.

Officials said corrections officers, mental health workers and law enforcement officers are among the categories of full-time employees for which low wages have driven some to seek federal assistance.