Posted on 10/07/2013 12:05:01 PM PDT by Captain Peter Blood
I was in Walmart the other night and saw something I did not know was available. As I was standing in the checkout line a woman was using her Food Stamp EBT card to buy stuff and at the end of the transaction she was able to get money back on the EBT card like you can with a debit card. I enquired about this and was informed that a change had been made by Government that permitted this. So you can get a cash back on a EBT Card then are able to buy things not on the approved list like tobacco products and alcohol. So another reason for me to hate paying my taxes.
Read my reply again or just this part: many programs like the EBT or Texas Lone Star Card
SNAP is another "entitlement program", just like WIC. I for one am sick of the duplication of services programs. There are four different programs listed in this reply, three federal and one Texas program. The takers are making out like kings.
for cigs, booze and loto cards too, I see it nearly every time I go to Kroger’s. Now our only grocery store, as the commissary is SHUT DOWN.
It’s been covered pretty well by FReepers, as usual, but I’ll just add that some states distribute unemployment insurance payments on bank cards that are identical to food stamp and welfare cards. I’m not aware of any states that restrict the use of unemployment payments.
Here is what the letter I got last month says. Cut a few words out here and there.
Effective November 1 2013 :All Food Stamp benefits will decrease. Under the American Recovery and Reinvestigation Act of 2009 -stimulus package - allotments were increased and remained through October 2013. Increases end October, 31st 2013 ,your benefits decrease November, 1 2013.
—
So basically my $200/month will now be $189. Or to me a family pack of ground beef depending on price/pound at the grocery store. I’m not one of those that buy a bunch of crap. Meat, cheese and water is what I mostly buy. The water is the $.88/gallon at W-M and $2.29 bottles at Aldi - I can’t drink tap from my town as I get sick even when filtered because they have a ton of sulfites.
I never tried to apply for TANF - welfare - but if I did and got it the money would be put on my EBT card. So far I only have Medicaid and food stamps. Applying for SSI will be coming but trying to get more medical proof and diagnosis before but hopefully doesn’t take forever.
There hasn't been a "Welfare" program in some time, at least by that name.
Instead a bunch of programs have taken the place of welfare. Research these:
SSI
TANF
FI (Family Independence), which promotes DEpendence
SNAP
Plus there are programs to help pay your rent, your utility bill, for daycare, etc. ad nauseam.
And, as you might expect, every program is abused and filled with fraud.
I didn’t go to the website, this is just what my friend said. But the friend is a typical teacher with a spouse who is a typical nurse and the $25 a month subsidy is what was determined when they input their information. I have no reason to believe it was a lie.
I am a guardian and an authorized representative for a family on SNAP. Their benefits are going down 15% on November 1st — I had assumed this was uniform nationwide but I guess not.
In my state the current manifestation is referred to alternately as "cash assistance" or TANF, depending on where you look on the DSHS website.
I am familiar with the others except for "FI". So I looked it up and here it is (was) referred to as "FIP".
A little summary I found:
The Washington State Family Independence Program (FIP) is a welfare reform program designed to help families become more economically self-sufficient. It was expected to increase participation in education, training, and employment, which would in turn reduce welfare participation. However, relative to traditional welfare, FIP had little or no impact on education and training, it reduced employment and earnings a little, and it increased welfare participation substantially. The authors present data gathered by the Urban Institute over five years and analyze the reasons for FIP's failure to meet its original goals.
I couldn’t agree more, but I can just hear the screeching now. “It’ll stigmatize them! It’ll be embarrassing to have to go to the special store! It’ll be inconvenient! It’s not faaaaaaaaiiirrr!!” So it’ll never happen. But it should.
I think it depends on how much they get a month. It might even vary state to state. For me - single, no kids, in MO - it is a 5.5% decrease.
One for food - no cash back.
One for cash benefits - like general assistance and Temp Assistance to Needy Families.
The next time you go through self-check out at the store, look at the button choices you have.
One is just for Food Stamps, the other is for EBT cash benefits.
Here in Washington state the cut off for Food Stamps is 2X the poverty level.
For one person no dependents, that's like $22,000.
Married couples are usually less than $44,000 total income because rent is split two ways.
Unless they have kids or disabled elders in the house, I'm not sure how they would qualify for any Food Stamps at all.
Re: “Their benefits are going down 15%”
It’s possible some of the Republican proposals to limit Food Stamps have become law.
The best description would be that many people “Double Dip” on the large assortment of welfare benefits available.
Under current law, a disabled child would be eligible for - and receive - full Food Stamp benefits.
However, if the whole family gets Food Stamps, the child’s share might be reduced since the child also gets a disability check each month, too.
So the the cash assistance program you have to qualify for you have to have kids and they take the money from the child’s father in most cases and to be eligible you have to attend work source classes and eventually pay that money back! My lord people have too much free time on their hands... SMH
“Again, what about soap, toothpaste, toilet paper, laundry detergent - none of which can be purchased with ebt food - the cash is for that.”
What about if people want those things, working for them?
Prayers that you find the job you want.
You know, things happen for a reason and I think God put you there to be a good example to those people.
the only thing we can do is AVOID TAXES....or get on the gravy train....
hide your money...hide your assets if you have any....
its our patriotic duty to pay as little in taxes as we can....because the govt just pays off its workers and throws money at their friends and buys the votes of the sloth that refuse to work....
you see these people at the casino...youngish...rocking in their chairs..and you wonder...HOW can they afford to come to a casino....I watch my money...I have limits...they never ever seem to have any limits...
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