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I'm amazed at how many think that a phone number is a luxury. You won't get a job interview, let alone a job if you cannot be reached in a timely manner. And right now the job market favors employers, not employees.
I have access to cable...but my landlord pays for it (I rent a room).
I have a cell phone...but it is part of a family plan, paid for by my father, who also put my mother on the same plan, in order to save money.
My landlord does not have a landline, and not having a phone number is not an option. Having him and his wife take my calls for me would not be an option either, since both of them work full time.
I've qualified for food stamps many times in my life; as have my parents. This year is the first year I've taken them though, and what drove me to it was the ever increasing cost of stuff, including gas and food.
I can understand the cable being a luxury...but a phone? Do we not realize that a person has to be reachable to get a job? Particularly if they are competing for 500 others for the same job?
If you qualify, the cell phones are provided free in at least 2 states that I know of. Actually, public assistance can be easier to get on in some areas than others - watch the poverty levels grow in a particular area and that seems to show a great big "Welcome" from what I have been looking at. You see, more people receiving benefits help work count for the staff, help them grow or retain jobs. I also heard that food stamp qualifications had been changed to allow more people to get food stamps - I think the income levels since everything has went up. Basically where we live, it is sort of slave labor in my opinion, the good old right to work state where you work at will, I often look at the nice low income housing and think "They have it made. They don't have to worry about the cell phone bill, health insurance, whether a check will come in next month, grocery store (food stamps and the pantry), lunch for the kids, etc.)" I'm talking about the young, healthy and lazy and those that should be spayed or neutered not the minority who really need help. Food stamps can be justified for the working poor because they truly cannot make it even if they are working hard but I stress "working" poor. I see people working at Wal-Mart for less than $8.00 an hour and they allow them less than 32 hours and they work hard for that and maybe the answer there is to make the employers of the working poor pay a living wage sothat we, the taxpayers, don't have to support them andourselves? Our state is one that wants drug testing for those receiving public assistance and I surely support that. Vision cards (food stamp) should not be used for the drug trade. I say, give them commodities. You don't like what you get. Get a job!
I work for Wal Mart and I don't know anybody who works for minimum wage in my store. Not even the newbies. Many of our employees have been there 5, 10 and even 20 years. People who've been there ten years are making $15 hour, or more, so I know the ones there longer are making more than that. Wal Mart doesn't "allow" them to work 32 hours. When they apply the tell them what THEIR availability is, whether they want part time or full time, and are scheduled accordingly. I work part time...33 hours a week...but that's all I need/want. People who request full time get their 40 hours. Wal Mart also pays their employees good bonuses every three months...based on many things, to be sure, but a good store will do their employees good. They can get pretty cheap, and decent, insurance coverage for themselves and families. They can contribute to a good 401k and stock in the company. Wal Mart is the ONLY company I have ever worked for that actually comes through with promised raises and promotions. I've been there just a year and have had two raises and one promotion. We also get paid personal days off and sick days. Well, everyone gets the personal days but only full timers get paid sick days. It's okay by me but I rarely ever call in sick. There are actually many pluses to working for Wal Mart and I wish I'd gone with them years ago.
Some of the benefits kick in after six months and some after a full year but well worth it. And yes, we do work hard, but they make absolutely sure that everyone gets all their breaks and hour lunch and if you're sick they'll send your butt home. I can't speak for other stores but ours is a really good one and I'm glad I work there.
Oh, and plenty of my co-workers get food stamps. I don't know how, but they do and all I can figure is that they have enough kids/expenses to offset the income requirements. We have a LOT of married couples working there and I know they make a lot more than I do, having been with Wal Mart for years.
In total, the government sends out nearly 212 million checks or electronic payments on a monthly basis. The top five categories are: Medicare claims, Social Security payments to older Americans and the disabled, food stamps and payments to active and retired military personnel.
is there a way for me to buy someone's "food stamps" cheap so they can have cash to spend on drugs and alcohol?
I can't speak for every state, but in Texas, technically no, you cannot do this.
In the old days food stamps were actually paper certificates. They were much like money, came in 1 5 10 20 dollar denominations, were the same size and shape as regular money, they were just different colors and had different designs.
I worked in grocery stores as a teenager and we would have people on food stamps sale their stamps for 50 cents on the dollar with people coming into the store. They would then take their cash to buy whatever, usually drugs.
But back in the mid 90s, Texas switched to an EBT system, so food stamp recepients got a debit card that was refresed every month with their food stamp allowance. It made it impossible for them to trade out stamps for real money unless they had someone stand with them at the checkout line trading money for card swipes.
here are the food stamp numbers if you want yet another jaw dropping moment in our economic decline:
Data from the Urban Institute shows enrollment in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program increased by 58 percent in South Dakota between 2007 and 2010. North Dakota had an increase of 33 percent during that period.
Nationally, the number of people using food stamps increased 69 percent between from 2007 to 2010.
we are going in an insane UNSUSTAINABLE direction, and there is no leadership to stop it anywhere.
I can't speak for every state, but in Texas, technically no, you cannot do this.
In the old days food stamps were actually paper certificates. They were much like money, came in 1 5 10 20 dollar denominations, were the same size and shape as regular money, they were just different colors and had different designs.
I worked in grocery stores as a teenager and we would have people on food stamps sale their stamps for 50 cents on the dollar with people coming into the store. They would then take their cash to buy whatever, usually drugs.
But back in the mid 90s, Texas switched to an EBT system, so food stamp recepients got a debit card that was refresed every month with their food stamp allowance. It made it impossible for them to trade out stamps for real money unless they had someone stand with them at the checkout line trading money for card swipes.
YMMV by state though.
All of the states have changed over to the EBT system now. The benefits can only be used for groceries, and you can't get cash back.
Location: where the moss is taking over the villages
2,184 posts, read 5,550,483 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AZDesertBrat
As a cashier at our local WalMart I am always surprised at just "who" gets food stamps. I can understand the elderly, who are on small fixed incomes...like my mom and families with lots of kids but others?? I have quite a few co-workers who get them and I don't "get" why. We have a LOT of husbands/wives who both work there and if they both make the same as me I don't see how they qualify. Even with a couple of kids. Most of them actually make more than I do because they've been there a long time. One guy I know...who isn't on food stamps...makes $15 hour but has been there ten years. We have a LOT of employees who've been with Wal Mart 5, 10 and even 20 years so you KNOW they make a decent wage. And still they get food stamps? I just don't 'get it'.
The ones that REALLY kill me are the ones who will buy $200 worth of food on an EBT card then turn around a pay for the rest with $100 bills. Some of them actually have a ROLL of money with big bills. It just astounds me. I also notice that there are very few who get 'cash' cards. The vast majority is just EBT.
I don't qualify either but it's fine with me. I HAVE qualified a few times in the past and would just as soon not.
I thought Food Stamps were essentially incomed based... I would suspect if a person is earning above the limit, perhaps that person is using someone else's EBT card...
For Oregon, there's a page at the Department of Human Services (that's the Welfare Dept. name) that has a food stamp calculator. If there's one for your state (maybe it's by county, I can't remember) you can give it a whirl to mull over what you're thinking about your co-worker...
I work for Wal Mart and I don't know anybody who works for minimum wage in my store. Not even the newbies. Many of our employees have been there 5, 10 and even 20 years. People who've been there ten years are making $15 hour, or more, so I know the ones there longer are making more than that. Wal Mart doesn't "allow" them to work 32 hours. When they apply the tell them what THEIR availability is, whether they want part time or full time, and are scheduled accordingly. I work part time...33 hours a week...but that's all I need/want. People who request full time get their 40 hours. Wal Mart also pays their employees good bonuses every three months...based on many things, to be sure, but a good store will do their employees good. They can get pretty cheap, and decent, insurance coverage for themselves and families. They can contribute to a good 401k and stock in the company. Wal Mart is the ONLY company I have ever worked for that actually comes through with promised raises and promotions. I've been there just a year and have had two raises and one promotion. We also get paid personal days off and sick days. Well, everyone gets the personal days but only full timers get paid sick days. It's okay by me but I rarely ever call in sick. There are actually many pluses to working for Wal Mart and I wish I'd gone with them years ago.
Some of the benefits kick in after six months and some after a full year but well worth it. And yes, we do work hard, but they make absolutely sure that everyone gets all their breaks and hour lunch and if you're sick they'll send your butt home. I can't speak for other stores but ours is a really good one and I'm glad I work there.
Oh, and plenty of my co-workers get food stamps. I don't know how, but they do and all I can figure is that they have enough kids/expenses to offset the income requirements. We have a LOT of married couples working there and I know they make a lot more than I do, having been with Wal Mart for years.
There's other reasons to get food stamps -- like if you have children who are disabled and that uses up a lot of your cash, you can qualify for assistance.
I thought Food Stamps were essentially incomed based... I would suspect if a person is earning above the limit, perhaps that person is using someone else's EBT card...
For Oregon, there's a page at the Department of Human Services (that's the Welfare Dept. name) that has a food stamp calculator. If there's one for your state (maybe it's by county, I can't remember) you can give it a whirl to mull over what you're thinking about your co-worker...
Just a thought
Food stamps ARE income based. Also based on what your expenses and assets are. I don't really CARE if my co-workers get food stamps I just don't 'get' how they can qualify if they make so much more than I do. I used to make little money and had much higher expenses than I do now so I did qualify, back then. Now my income is a LOT more and my expenses fewer so I wouldn't qualify.
I lived in Oregon for 11 years and I always thought they were the most progressive state, where Welfare, etc. was concerned. Even back in the early 60s they had, what I call, "Workfare". The head of the house went to work every day and collected their check at the end of the week. Back then, though, there were more two parent families who sometimes had to rely on help. They were also the first state, that I know of, that helped single moms get an education and decent jobs to support their kids.
There's other reasons to get food stamps -- like if you have children who are disabled and that uses up a lot of your cash, you can qualify for assistance.
Yes, I'm aware of that.
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