I generally agree.
However it’s not always what it looks like. There are a lot of people who fell on hard times who already had expensive i-phones.
I think that was part of the idea of them removing the asset criteria and leaving only the income criteria. A family with a very nice home, loses their jobs, and quickly gets overextended and needs help just to put food on the table. They didn’t want people having to sell the family home in the middle of a financial crisis.
However, I think if they have non-assets above x, help should be structured as a loan, not a hand out. And if they have liquid assets above y, they shouldn’t be getting food stamps regardless of current income.
I do not agree. These people who own nice homes and have nice cars and have enjoyed vacations and nice clothes, they should have had the foresight to NOT spend every dollar of income. I have watched my spending, for exactly the reason to avoid needing food stamps within a few weeks of losing a job. I do not feel sorry for these people who live for today because we will take care of their tomorrow. Let them learn responsibility and self reliance.
Theoretically I could probably be eligible for food stamps because my cash is earning almost zero income and I am retired. But I will not burden other tax payers so long as I have enough cash assets to buy my own food.