Normally the Department of Social Services in each state would withhold benefits in successive months until the account was “caught up” or reconciled. I know an individual who had this happen. WA DSHS put only $25 on the card for the intervening months. But in this case things are a little murky because the retailer evidently was not authorized to let the transactions go through. WMT may have to charge this to good will.
I’m sure that WM immediately wrote this off after doing the cold calculations of the costs of the alternative-a riot.