700,000 Americans Citizens May Lose Food Stamp Benefits

Post Reply New Topic

I used to know people who sold their food stamps for cash.

Yes they do. From what I have heard it's actually required because they accept EBT aka Food Stamps. But required or not there is a bunch of bananas, apples and oranges to buy. Along with cut up fruit in clear plastic packages and lots of salads packed that way. Plus there are canned goods and dry goods.

Last edited by EzraS on 04 Dec 2019, 8:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.

THAT is cheating. They use the cash to buy tobacco and alcohol. That’s also why SNAP is switching from paper stamps to debit cards and requiring ID as well.

Last edited by Fnord on 04 Dec 2019, 8:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I don't know of anyone now but between 1992-1994 I knew many people who were taking advantage of general assistance and food stamps when I worked as an unarmed security guard in the public housing projects. I got to know the tenants of the large buildings I worked in by name and I would talk to many of them on every single shift I had there. As such, I talked to the residents hundreds of times. Sometimes it was only for a few minutes in passing but other times, in the commons area of the building in the evening it was for lengthy periods of time. The public housing had tenants that were elderly, disabled and able bodied. Certain able bodied tenants would actually tell me how they were glad they were gaming the system and would rather do that than work a job any day. Were all of them gaming the system? Of course not. Were a measurable number of them gaming the system? Yes they were.

I feel very fortunate that I live in a country that has a system in place to provide for those that can't provide for themselves. I shudder to think what this country would be like if we didn't have such a system. We'd have elderly and disabled people begging for alms and dying in the streets. However, I dismiss and reject an argument to the effect of: "Unless you can prove people game the system, how dare you even think such things or even bring it up." Or "Perhaps (not for certain) a very small number of people game the system but the number is probably so small, how dare you even think such things or even bring it up." There is rampant and widespread abuse. If I recall correctly, the Department of Human Services in Minnesota is under scrutiny for possibly being complicit in waste, fraud and abuse.

Last edited by Magna on 04 Dec 2019, 8:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Were the housing projects in Minneapolis?

Yes they were.

I have never seen an actual paper food stamp irl. I think most people use EBT and WIC cards.

The system is becoming more secure, but as with any system there will always be people who will figure out a way to cheat it. EBT and WIC cards are the best that can be done so far ... unless people are willing to be chipped.

I lived in public housing twice. Both times in the Bronx.

Once----with a woman I met at work

The other time----I had my grandmother's apartment while I went looking for an apartment. It was actually a nice complex.

People can still get free food with either and then sell the food instead of selling food stamps. There are many who have working the system down to a fine science.

But is that called “working the system” or “cheating the system”?

I would call it a little bit of both.....

Using government aid when you could hold a job and or using such aid in ways that it is not intended for, is of course cheating the system to the point of outright fraud.

Then if you know the people who are doing this, turn them in!

What does knowing those people have to do with anything? Are you implying if one doesn't actually know such people they are just a myth?

I don't actually know any pickpockets either. Or drug dealers. Or child molesters etc.

Exactly.

I suspect, though, that the people who keep ranting about people cheating the system are often confusing their own disapproval of people on food stamps with those people cheating the system (can’t these bums just work harder?). Basically, they get a gut feeling about the person collecting the food stamps and just sorta run with it.