momma rolled up in a caddy with about six kids. she sat in the car and sent the kids in one at a time with a $1 food stamp. The kid bought the cheapest thing possible....so they could get change. Real Money.
When the kids had acquired enough money they took it to momma. She waddled into the store and bought her cigs with the change. Not a darn thing I could do about it. She was laughing the whole time.
There was one woman who came in and I felt sorry for her. She had two kids and she was trying to use WIC. The items she were trying to buy weren't covered by WIC. You could see the defeat in her fade. I really think she was ashamed to be using WIC unlike the other momma who was proud to be beating the system.
It was different back in the day. You had to whip out actual food STAMPS to pay. Everyone behind you in line could see them. You had to sort out eligible and non-eligible items on the belt, and the cashier had to issue you a credit slip for any change due.
Now it’s all handled online with the swipe of a debit card. Likely the next person does not even know it’s a SNAP purchase unless they are watching closely.
I've seen this, a few times, and quietly helped. Easy to tell the people who just need a little hand from those who are working the system.
Mom used to work in DHS. Had a client who made a conscious choice to enter the system - she and her husband got laid off at the same time from the local plant. He went back to school (got a 4 year degree in three years) while she stayed at home with the kids and made their budget work. Raised a garden, made a lot of clothes from scratch, etc etc etc.
They had a three year plan...he got his degree, went back to work at a much better job (accounting or finance related? maybe?)and they got off the welfare rolls. Basically, the system worked exactly as designed. For once.
Anyhoo, this lady's shopping system was *flawless*. Coupon for everything, worked the sales mercilessly. They didn't eat Crab Legs and Lobster every night, but neither did they go hungry. Mom asked her to come in and do a "shopping" seminar, maybe combine it with a "how to cook on 5 dollars a day" kind of thing - figured that some of the DHS clients could use the help....
...only people who showed up were Mom and other DHS employees. Depressing.