`Food stamp benefits cut off for thousands...............`

[LongTermGuy]

`Must work for benefits....................`

Quote:

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Updated: Tuesday, January 20 2015, 01:04 PM CST

PORTLAND, Maine (WGME) - Thousands of welfare recipients in Maine are no longer getting their benefits. We found food stamps have been cut off for more than 6,000 Mainers.

This all goes back to a federal law passed nearly 20 years ago. It says if you're healthy and don't have any kids, you need to work or you don't get food stamps. Six years ago when the recession hit, Maine and dozens of other states asked for an exemption to that rule because the economy was so bad, but this year Maine and a handful of other states decided to stop asking for that exemption.

"I was just so upset after I got the phone call," a phone call from DHHS telling Melaina her food stamp card would stop getting money loaded on to it.

She had been getting $224 a month.

"It was a cushion especially for me because I have dietary restrictions; I have a lot of them, and the food is very expensive," Melaina said.``

http://news4sanantonio.com/news/features/top-stories/stories/food-stamp-benefits-cut-off-thousands-19682.shtml?wap=0

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[LongTermGuy]

``It was a cushion especially for me because I have dietary restrictions; I have a lot of them``

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`Well now you have another dietary restriction..... NO MORE FREE MONEY`

[Kathianne]

I've written about SNAP benefits while working at Walgreens, so many were buying junk that those who have to pay would not buy.

Now that I'm working at a Safeway, I see way more of the highs and lows of SNAP buying. Funny thing, those getting WIC benefits, seem way more savvy in their buying-both with costs and nutritionally. Most on WIC are also on SNAP. WIC requires that a doctor or nutritionist list what items and weight will be purchased with a check, (I'm guessing that some discussion with the mother goes on with the list). SNAP in contrast has few restrictions, the most notable is that 'hot, prepared items are not allowed.'

The WIC moms I've seen here in AZ seem to be very conscious of using both coupons and store card use to keep the costs down. Many are also given a $5 check for veggies and fruit, if they go above that they pay the remainder. The ''Just for You" card program from Safeway zeroes in on what you buy and offers 'deals' that make your buck go further. Most WIC moms seem to get that. Unlike IL, AZ allows the use of coupons for the program and also allows the consumer to receive coupons ala Catalina from the WIC purchase. These moms often do their WIC first, then go to $5 veggie/fruit check. From their original purchase there will often be Catalina coupons to use on the veggie/fruit purchase to follow. If they also utilize the online 'Just4You' there will be card coupons and sometimes free items given. Thus it's not unusual for one of these moms to purchase $20-35 dollars worth of veggies/fruits, (which may be fresh, frozen or a combination) and still have it covered by the $5 limit of the check. If not, they are paying a few bucks out of pocket.

Contrast that with SNAP only purchases. :rolleyes: Many don't use the club card, nor any type of coupons, they don't want them when offered at end of sale. 'It's beneath them is my guess, they roll their eyes and don't even take a receipt.' I guess it's just 'free money' to them. They buy the $2.50 yogurt rather than Dannon or Chobani, they can afford it I suppose. While most of us will buy a package of Stacy's Chips once in awhile, supplemented with the BOGO on some other brand, not so those on SNAP, they'll buy several bags, at full price.

I guess what I'm saying is those of us that do pay taxes, that do work hard for what we earn, really do try to 'stretch the buck.' I pay attention to sales, I buy brands that I'm not crazy about when the sale is too good to pass up. For instance, I'll buy a soft wheat bread at $1.09, rather than that I really like at $4.29. When I need bread that comes into play. Same thing happens with butter, eggs, milk, etc. Those $2 and $3 add up! When I want to go to a Subway or someplace to pick up a bite to eat, the savings I garnered in the grocery cover that. Ah, the SNAP person can also do that, as long as it's not 'hot and prepared.'

[DragonStryk72]

I've written about SNAP benefits while working at Walgreens, so many were buying junk that those who have to pay would not buy.

Now that I'm working at a Safeway, I see way more of the highs and lows of SNAP buying. Funny thing, those getting WIC benefits, seem way more savvy in their buying-both with costs and nutritionally. Most on WIC are also on SNAP. WIC requires that a doctor or nutritionist list what items and weight will be purchased with a check, (I'm guessing that some discussion with the mother goes on with the list). SNAP in contrast has few restrictions, the most notable is that 'hot, prepared items are not allowed.'

The WIC moms I've seen here in AZ seem to be very conscious of using both coupons and store card use to keep the costs down. Many are also given a $5 check for veggies and fruit, if they go above that they pay the remainder. The ''Just for You" card program from Safeway zeroes in on what you buy and offers 'deals' that make your buck go further. Most WIC moms seem to get that. Unlike IL, AZ allows the use of coupons for the program and also allows the consumer to receive coupons ala Catalina from the WIC purchase. These moms often do their WIC first, then go to $5 veggie/fruit check. From their original purchase there will often be Catalina coupons to use on the veggie/fruit purchase to follow. If they also utilize the online 'Just4You' there will be card coupons and sometimes free items given. Thus it's not unusual for one of these moms to purchase $20-35 dollars worth of veggies/fruits, (which may be fresh, frozen or a combination) and still have it covered by the $5 limit of the check. If not, they are paying a few bucks out of pocket.

Contrast that with SNAP only purchases. :rolleyes: Many don't use the club card, nor any type of coupons, they don't want them when offered at end of sale. 'It's beneath them is my guess, they roll their eyes and don't even take a receipt.' I guess it's just 'free money' to them. They buy the $2.50 yogurt rather than Dannon or Chobani, they can afford it I suppose. While most of us will buy a package of Stacy's Chips once in awhile, supplemented with the BOGO on some other brand, not so those on SNAP, they'll buy several bags, at full price.

I guess what I'm saying is those of us that do pay taxes, that do work hard for what we earn, really do try to 'stretch the buck.' I pay attention to sales, I buy brands that I'm not crazy about when the sale is too good to pass up. For instance, I'll buy a soft wheat bread at $1.09, rather than that I really like at $4.29. When I need bread that comes into play. Same thing happens with butter, eggs, milk, etc. Those $2 and $3 add up! When I want to go to a Subway or someplace to pick up a bite to eat, the savings I garnered in the grocery cover that. Ah, the SNAP person can also do that, as long as it's not 'hot and prepared.'

Well, it isn't so much that. I ended up on food stamps, and really, I'd have preferred the WIC system myself. Food stamps does not pay out enough to eat essentially healthy, and most states don't have rollover (you excess at end of month goes over to the next month). If you go absolutely as cheap as you can, buying all knock-offs (many of which do actually suck, though there are exceptions to this), then you can maybe eat semi-decently (though it's likely not to be value for money, just cheaper), as long as you don't get any fresh fruit or vegetables, or load up on thing like orange juice. Believe it or not, that stuff gets expensive. The junk? That's all cheap, so the stamp users buy that to try and save as much money as they can.

I'm not saying high on the hog, but just eating healthy. The difference is how the system plays out. With WIC, it's set up for specific items, and you can make choices of those items, but you're still limited. However, it's in those limitations that you get better, healthier options. It encourages healthy eating, which in turn, improves general health and well-being. The food stamp system never does this, and thus, it's really just chucking money at a problem that isn't really about money.

[Trigg]

The article clearly states that this will only affect adults with no dependents who aren't disabled. Even then they were given a way to still get benefits.



In October, DHHS announced it would start requiring able-bodied adults without dependents to either work or volunteer 20 hours a week or enroll in an employment training program. If they didn't, they'd stop getting food stamps.


These people have absolutely NO BITCH in my opinion. Able bodied adults SHOULD be working, if they're too lazy to even volunteer they deserve to loose their benefits.