Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
The food stamps buy a lot of economical rice-based meals for the family -- four adults and a grandson who live with Lewis in Spring Hill, Florida.
Occasionally, when her grocery store is running a deal, Lewis indulges the family with spare ribs or chicken.
The benefit -- totaling $800 for four adults -- never lasts Lewis and her family a full month.
"When I get to the end, we always run out. I try to go to all the food pantries," Lewis said.
Food stamp benefits will be trimmed by $5 billion starting Friday, when a temporary bump-up enacted during the recession expires. Millions of families will be affected.
Related: Cut to food stamps coming Friday
Lewis, 55, is worried because the cuts are coming at a bad time. Among other things, a second grandchild is due in January.
She is also fighting the bank from foreclosing on her home.
And even though she doesn't smoke, Lewis suffers from emphysema, which prevents her from working.
Lewis attributes the emphysema to a lifetime of bartending in smoke-filled nonprofit social clubs, such as Elks and Moose lodges.
Her adult daughters who live with her aren't in a position to work -- one is a new mom, and another is due to give birth soon.
The low point came this summer, when she didn't have enough to pay the full electricity bill. Lewis needs power to run her breathing machine to treat her illness. So she pawned her wedding ring for $325. Our family will lose $44 in food stamps - Nov. 1, 2013
Why can't pregnant women and new mothers work? Lewis's daughters should work. Every woman I know well worked while pregnant and after their child was born. That is how people survive; they work.
Anybody paying for cable/satellite TV should have the amount they pay for cable/satellite TV per month deducted from their food stamps. Retroactive, for 3 yrs. Easy to confirm...necessary - to even begin to cut government waste.
And, that's just where I'd start to cut this bee ess. Smart phone accounts next. You owe the IRS.
Last edited by StuffedCabbage; 11-24-2013 at 02:01 PM..
There were no cuts.
It was an expiration of a temporary boost in payments.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
