Food Stamps and Healthy Food
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kinkyslinky16 wrote: »My grandma is on food stamps and only gets $21 a month. Yeah, there's no healthy food that's gonna last a month, other than frozen foods but even a frozen bag of peas still cost $1 and last 1 meal. I called to scream about the $21 and was told that we are lucky because the uncle of the person we were talking to only gets $15 per month. Yep. Food stamps arent the excessive amount of free money everyone thinks they are and planning several meals around small amounts of money is probably incredibly difficult.
The amount you get is based on other income. If your grandma is getting Social Security and/or taking payments from a retirement account or pension, that all figures in. The maximum amount for a single person with less than $900 a month in income is $180
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_incogNEATo_ wrote: »CleanUpWhatIMessedUp wrote: »_incogNEATo_ wrote: »I have seen people using food stamp debit cards to purchase an entire cart full of groceries and non-groceries. I may be wrong, but I'm thinking that although it is supposed to be used for food, food stamps still get used for other things.
I've seen one used in an Indian gas station to buy cigarettes too. I don't know if that's allowed or not either, but I saw it happen.
Wish I had more to offer though, sorry.
Food stamps are restricted and can only be used for certain things, mainly food. You cannot buy cigarettes with food stamps. However, there is such a thing as TANF (temporary assistance needy families), and that assistance can probably be used for anything, so that is probably what you saw.
http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/eligible-food-items
Cannot and should not are two different things. The food stamp card where I live is very distinguishable, and that's what I saw. So yes, cigarettes can be bought with food stamps.
Are you American?
If you are, then no, you absolutely cannot buy cigarettes with food stamps. When I used to work at a grocery store, people put anything and everything into their cart, the cashier totals it up, and the register only applies the food stamps to the portions that qualify for it. If there are cigarettes, charcoal, and candy on the bill, then the individual has to pay for those items a different way.0 -
I so loved this thread. Getting educated.0
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No, no, oh okay, I tried . . . . but I cannot resist . . . Who eats a whole bag of frozen peas at one meal?0
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kinkyslinky16 wrote: »My grandma is on food stamps and only gets $21 a month. Yeah, there's no healthy food that's gonna last a month, other than frozen foods but even a frozen bag of peas still cost $1 and last 1 meal. I called to scream about the $21 and was told that we are lucky because the uncle of the person we were talking to only gets $15 per month. Yep. Food stamps arent the excessive amount of free money everyone thinks they are and planning several meals around small amounts of money is probably incredibly difficult.
The amount you get is based on other income. If your grandma is getting Social Security and/or taking payments from a retirement account or pension, that all figures in. The maximum amount for a single person with less than $900 a month in income is $180
Her income is just over 900 a month. I wonder if it varies state by state? When I spoke with someone at the benefits office, the rep said it didn't get much better than 21.
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Cannot and should not are two different things. The food stamp card where I live is very distinguishable, and that's what I saw. So yes, cigarettes can be bought with food stamps.
I guarantee you cannot buy cigarettes with FOOD stamps... That card you see most likely has "Cash Assistance" on it and that should be used to buy household items that are non food I.E. cleaning supplies, paper products for the home. Not cigarettes, so you are correct, regardless they shouldn't be using it to buy cigarettes.0 -
hollydubs85 wrote: »_incogNEATo_ wrote: »CleanUpWhatIMessedUp wrote: »_incogNEATo_ wrote: »I have seen people using food stamp debit cards to purchase an entire cart full of groceries and non-groceries. I may be wrong, but I'm thinking that although it is supposed to be used for food, food stamps still get used for other things.
I've seen one used in an Indian gas station to buy cigarettes too. I don't know if that's allowed or not either, but I saw it happen.
Wish I had more to offer though, sorry.
Food stamps are restricted and can only be used for certain things, mainly food. You cannot buy cigarettes with food stamps. However, there is such a thing as TANF (temporary assistance needy families), and that assistance can probably be used for anything, so that is probably what you saw.
http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/eligible-food-items
Cannot and should not are two different things. The food stamp card where I live is very distinguishable, and that's what I saw. So yes, cigarettes can be bought with food stamps.
Are you American?
If you are, then no, you absolutely cannot buy cigarettes with food stamps. When I used to work at a grocery store, people put anything and everything into their cart, the cashier totals it up, and the register only applies the food stamps to the portions that qualify for it. If there are cigarettes, charcoal, and candy on the bill, then the individual has to pay for those items a different way.
I saw it happen at a gas station where obviously the cigarettes were rung up as "grocery." Like I said (twice now), I don't know how everything works with food stamps, but I know that food stamps were used to buy cigarettes in a gas station. I worked in a grocery store too and have no experience with food stamps and how the process works and what loopholes are made to use it for items other than groceries. Unless EBT cards can distinguish food stamps from other benefits that are on that card. If that's the case, I will retract everything I said about that person buying cigarettes with food stamps. I just know the card they used is the same card I see people using to buy groceries as well.0 -
kinkyslinky16 wrote: »kinkyslinky16 wrote: »My grandma is on food stamps and only gets $21 a month. Yeah, there's no healthy food that's gonna last a month, other than frozen foods but even a frozen bag of peas still cost $1 and last 1 meal. I called to scream about the $21 and was told that we are lucky because the uncle of the person we were talking to only gets $15 per month. Yep. Food stamps arent the excessive amount of free money everyone thinks they are and planning several meals around small amounts of money is probably incredibly difficult.
The amount you get is based on other income. If your grandma is getting Social Security and/or taking payments from a retirement account or pension, that all figures in. The maximum amount for a single person with less than $900 a month in income is $180
Her income is just over 900 a month. I wonder if it varies state by state? When I spoke with someone at the benefits office, the rep said it didn't get much better than 21.
It could be, since it is a federal program that is managed by the states. It would make sense that the cost of living by state would play a part. Milk is $5-$6 a gallon in Hawaii. There's no way a person from there could make it on the same amount that a person in North Dakota receives.0 -
_incogNEATo_ wrote: »CleanUpWhatIMessedUp wrote: »_incogNEATo_ wrote: »I have seen people using food stamp debit cards to purchase an entire cart full of groceries and non-groceries. I may be wrong, but I'm thinking that although it is supposed to be used for food, food stamps still get used for other things.
I've seen one used in an Indian gas station to buy cigarettes too. I don't know if that's allowed or not either, but I saw it happen.
Wish I had more to offer though, sorry.
Food stamps are restricted and can only be used for certain things, mainly food. You cannot buy cigarettes with food stamps. However, there is such a thing as TANF (temporary assistance needy families), and that assistance can probably be used for anything, so that is probably what you saw.
http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/eligible-food-items
Cannot and should not are two different things. The food stamp card where I live is very distinguishable, and that's what I saw. So yes, cigarettes can be bought with food stamps.
The same card has cash and food stamp benefits on it, so they used cash for the cigarettes. Nothing with a non-food code will go on food stamp benefits. I had to use one of these cards for a few months when my husband died and had both benefits on it. You can't even buy toilet paper, soap, diapers, or any other essentials with food stamps. It won't even ring up without a food code before it, that even includes deli items that are warm and are food.
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chelsy0587 wrote: »Cannot and should not are two different things. The food stamp card where I live is very distinguishable, and that's what I saw. So yes, cigarettes can be bought with food stamps.
I guarantee you cannot buy cigarettes with FOOD stamps... That card you see most likely has "Cash Assistance" on it and that should be used to buy household items that are non food I.E. cleaning supplies, paper products for the home. Not cigarettes, so you are correct, regardless they shouldn't be using it to buy cigarettes.
This is probably the case. Sorry for the confusion, and thanks for the education (from everybody).0 -
_incogNEATo_ wrote: »hollydubs85 wrote: »_incogNEATo_ wrote: »CleanUpWhatIMessedUp wrote: »_incogNEATo_ wrote: »I have seen people using food stamp debit cards to purchase an entire cart full of groceries and non-groceries. I may be wrong, but I'm thinking that although it is supposed to be used for food, food stamps still get used for other things.
I've seen one used in an Indian gas station to buy cigarettes too. I don't know if that's allowed or not either, but I saw it happen.
Wish I had more to offer though, sorry.
Food stamps are restricted and can only be used for certain things, mainly food. You cannot buy cigarettes with food stamps. However, there is such a thing as TANF (temporary assistance needy families), and that assistance can probably be used for anything, so that is probably what you saw.
http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/eligible-food-items
Cannot and should not are two different things. The food stamp card where I live is very distinguishable, and that's what I saw. So yes, cigarettes can be bought with food stamps.
Are you American?
If you are, then no, you absolutely cannot buy cigarettes with food stamps. When I used to work at a grocery store, people put anything and everything into their cart, the cashier totals it up, and the register only applies the food stamps to the portions that qualify for it. If there are cigarettes, charcoal, and candy on the bill, then the individual has to pay for those items a different way.
I saw it happen at a gas station where obviously the cigarettes were rung up as "grocery." Like I said (twice now), I don't know how everything works with food stamps, but I know that food stamps were used to buy cigarettes in a gas station. I worked in a grocery store too and have no experience with food stamps and how the process works and what loopholes are made to use it for items other than groceries. Unless EBT cards can distinguish food stamps from other benefits that are on that card. If that's the case, I will retract everything I said about that person buying cigarettes with food stamps. I just know the card they used is the same card I see people using to buy groceries as well.
Ahhh, that makes a lot more sense. Yeah, at the grocery store, if something wouldn't scan, I could enter it in manually as a grocery item (or pharmacy item, or deli item, etc.). I'm willing to bet the person behind the register was doing that person a favor by ringing up the cigarettes as a grocery item. There are ways to cheat any system, unfortunately.
ETA: Just read the other replies. I've never seen anyone in TX use their EBT cards for anything other than groceries, but that makes sense.0 -
a lot of the food stamp cards have it to where your TANF(cash) benefits go on the same card as well. so that is probably what you saw being used to buy cigarettes.you cannot buy cigs with foodstamps ,they arent coded to go through the register(or at least they should not be).if any store allows non food items to be bought using foodstamps then that store needs reported because thats illegal(fraud). Its hard to tell if the person using their EBT card is using the cash assistance on the card for non food,unless you are standing right next to or behind them and see them select the cash option(instead of food)._incogNEATo_ wrote: »CleanUpWhatIMessedUp wrote: »_incogNEATo_ wrote: »I have seen people using food stamp debit cards to purchase an entire cart full of groceries and non-groceries. I may be wrong, but I'm thinking that although it is supposed to be used for food, food stamps still get used for other things.
I've seen one used in an Indian gas station to buy cigarettes too. I don't know if that's allowed or not either, but I saw it happen.
Wish I had more to offer though, sorry.
Food stamps are restricted and can only be used for certain things, mainly food. You cannot buy cigarettes with food stamps. However, there is such a thing as TANF (temporary assistance needy families), and that assistance can probably be used for anything, so that is probably what you saw.
http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/eligible-food-items
Cannot and should not are two different things. The food stamp card where I live is very distinguishable, and that's what I saw. So yes, cigarettes can be bought with food stamps.
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hollydubs85 wrote: »_incogNEATo_ wrote: »hollydubs85 wrote: »_incogNEATo_ wrote: »CleanUpWhatIMessedUp wrote: »_incogNEATo_ wrote: »I have seen people using food stamp debit cards to purchase an entire cart full of groceries and non-groceries. I may be wrong, but I'm thinking that although it is supposed to be used for food, food stamps still get used for other things.
I've seen one used in an Indian gas station to buy cigarettes too. I don't know if that's allowed or not either, but I saw it happen.
Wish I had more to offer though, sorry.
Food stamps are restricted and can only be used for certain things, mainly food. You cannot buy cigarettes with food stamps. However, there is such a thing as TANF (temporary assistance needy families), and that assistance can probably be used for anything, so that is probably what you saw.
http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/eligible-food-items
Cannot and should not are two different things. The food stamp card where I live is very distinguishable, and that's what I saw. So yes, cigarettes can be bought with food stamps.
Are you American?
If you are, then no, you absolutely cannot buy cigarettes with food stamps. When I used to work at a grocery store, people put anything and everything into their cart, the cashier totals it up, and the register only applies the food stamps to the portions that qualify for it. If there are cigarettes, charcoal, and candy on the bill, then the individual has to pay for those items a different way.
I saw it happen at a gas station where obviously the cigarettes were rung up as "grocery." Like I said (twice now), I don't know how everything works with food stamps, but I know that food stamps were used to buy cigarettes in a gas station. I worked in a grocery store too and have no experience with food stamps and how the process works and what loopholes are made to use it for items other than groceries. Unless EBT cards can distinguish food stamps from other benefits that are on that card. If that's the case, I will retract everything I said about that person buying cigarettes with food stamps. I just know the card they used is the same card I see people using to buy groceries as well.
Ahhh, that makes a lot more sense. Yeah, at the grocery store, if something wouldn't scan, I could enter it in manually as a grocery item (or pharmacy item, or deli item, etc.). I'm willing to bet the person behind the register was doing that person a favor by ringing up the cigarettes as a grocery item. There are ways to cheat any system, unfortunately.
That was what I originally meant. The gas station is known for selling to minors and is just an overall shady gas station. They also have the best prices for tobacco products (I was there for my Red Man Golden Blend that I don't chew anymore
)
I guess what I'm saying is, I'm sure this place will take money however they can (even if it means cheating a system).0 -
I've used food stamps before, we needed them and we used them.
I've also known people that get hundreds of dollars per month for 4 or 5 kids and they sell their food stamps to get cash to buy drugs or alcohol. THESE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT MAKE EVERYONE LOOK BAD. They do need some serious education...0 -
They used to be only for certain items, ( block of cheese) now they are more lenient on the food item. which is good, but as many have said, some do not know nutrition. I don't like seeing them being used for soda, chips, ice cream, etc... should be used for veggies, fruit, meats, pasta,etc..
This may be the "food stamp Healthy program" you mentioned. Which would be good, as said many family generation are on them and do not know "healthy" foods to buy.
and yes, people get around the food item and use them for cigarettes,etc.. they are even sold on the internet to get cash.0 -
yes,it varies by state. so does medicaid. some states will pay for dental work,glasses,etc while others do not. amount you get in foodstamps vary by state(goes by your income,what your deductions are(rent,water,sewer,etc_) and how many live in the home.some states the more people who live in the home the more foodstamps you get.some states have a cap limit on what amount you can get,even though its federal it does vary by state so the snap guidelines are not going to be accurate or the same for every state.(I have a friend who works at the welfare office,shes a case worker)kinkyslinky16 wrote: »kinkyslinky16 wrote: »My grandma is on food stamps and only gets $21 a month. Yeah, there's no healthy food that's gonna last a month, other than frozen foods but even a frozen bag of peas still cost $1 and last 1 meal. I called to scream about the $21 and was told that we are lucky because the uncle of the person we were talking to only gets $15 per month. Yep. Food stamps arent the excessive amount of free money everyone thinks they are and planning several meals around small amounts of money is probably incredibly difficult.
The amount you get is based on other income. If your grandma is getting Social Security and/or taking payments from a retirement account or pension, that all figures in. The maximum amount for a single person with less than $900 a month in income is $180
Her income is just over 900 a month. I wonder if it varies state by state? When I spoke with someone at the benefits office, the rep said it didn't get much better than 21.0 -
I'm an AmeriCorps service member (basically doing a year of "government sponsored" community service). As such, I get SNAP benefits, as they're called here in California. I have a few points:
*I have a taxable income of zero dollars a month and receive $130.42 a month in SNAP benefits. I usually manage to make that last all month, but there are a lot of things I've had to do to make that work: I only buy meat/fish when it is (deeply) discounted. I buy the bruised produce that's on sale. I don't buy the "nice" fruit like berries and melons, unless it's on that discount table, same with the "nice" produce like kale or, I don't know, beets. I also supplement with my stoop garden, which is lucky for me that I'm in California. I don't buy any kinds of prepared foods and make everything from scratch. I eat a lot of pasta. I eat a lot of frozen food. I eat only store brand. I stock up on what's on sale and eat that a lot for several days/weeks in a row.
*If I had a dependent, I would receive about $30 more a month for that dependent.
*I don't have a car. I have to walk 35 minutes to the nearest Safeway twice a week, because I have to carry the food back 35 minutes myself. There's a Whole Foods much closer, but hahaha. There's also a convenience store on the corner where I could stock up on ramen, frozen pizza, and other "junk" food that's only a two-minute walk.
*My weekly grocery shopping as such takes about three hours of time. If I had small children, I'd have to either find someone to watch them or take them walking with me to the store, doubling the amount of time it would take. This does not include food prep time, which is significant, since I have to prep everything from scratch and garden to stretch the money.
*I am capable of doing this because I have to do it for a limited amount of time. I know that when I'm done with my AmeriCorps service, I can go back to school and then find a nice, well-paying job that will allow me to purchase a vehicle and buy whatever food I desire.
*I cannot imagine doing this for year after year, or with children, or while disabled. I would not. I would become disheartened and go to that corner store to buy frozen pizza.
*At least here in California, you have an Electronic Benefits Transfer card that looks like a debit card. It can contain both food assistance and cash assistance. You just select the appropriate button when you pay, similar to selecting debit or credit when you pay with another card. You can also (as I do), pay with your EBT card for your food, then hand the cashier the balance in cash to pay for your toilet paper, or whatever. So those you think are paying for things that you disapprove of with EBT might well not actually be doing so.0 -
I don't like seeing them being used for soda, chips, ice cream, etc... should be used for veggies, fruit, meats, pasta,etc..
I had to explain this to my SO at the time, he would buy junk food then we'd be hungry the rest of the month.
When we had them I always bought the most expensive items with it. Meat, dairy and fresh produce.
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