Someone help me understand this.

[The Boys]

What can I buy with SNAP/food stamp benefits?

You can buy any food except alcohol, pet food, or heated foods. You can also buy seeds and plants to grow food, as long as you are buying them from a store that accepts SNAP/food stamps (like a grocery store).

You cannot use your EBT card to buy soap, toothpaste, toilet paper, tobacco, or anything else that is not food.

For a comprehensive list of permissible foods to purchase with your EBT card, please see the link to the USDA website below:

http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/retailers/eligible.htm

 

[DOGS THAT BARK]

So I go in the store and purchase Four dollars worth of batteries and two dollars worth of snacks and the total came to 6.58. I swiped my card and the total said I owed 2.50 something. I asked the lady why it said this and she said "is that not a ebt(sp) card". I said "huh". She said "foodstamps card". I kinda chuckled as the whole situation amused yet confused me. Needless to say she quickly had me rescan my card and the new total was once again 6.58. Now I am not looking for a "freeloade"r vs "needs help" discussion, I would just like to know how the system works. How would what I bought come to 2.50 something for someone on foodstamps? Are the things you can buy with "food"stamps not limited to food. Do you get "foodstamps" and a discount both.

I was curious after your post and tried to check if batteries were included as foodstamp eligible item.
Can't find where they are but this thread was 5th in priority on search--

About 235,000 results<NOBR> (0.19 seconds) </NOBR>


Search Results

1. <LI style="POSITION: relative" class="g w0 knavi">FNS Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
   
   <BUTTON class=ws title="" type=submit></BUTTON> Oct 7, 2010 ... We help put healthy food on the table for over 40 million people ... Pick a store and use SNAP benefits there to put healthy food on the ...
   <CITE>www.fns.usda.gov/snap/</CITE> - Cached - Similar
   ► <LI class="g w0 knavi">How to Buy Food With Food Stamps | eHow.com
   
   <BUTTON class=ws title="" type=submit></BUTTON> - 2:31am There are certain foods that are excluded with food stamp benefits. ... Hot and ready to eat foods are not allowed, like rotisserie chicken or hot macaroni ...
   <CITE>www.ehow.com ? ... ? Diet & Nutrition ? Healthy Eating</CITE> - Cached - Similar
   <LI class="g w0 knavi">The Stimulus Plan: A Detailed List of Spending - ProPublica
   
   <BUTTON class=ws title="" type=submit></BUTTON> - 2 visits - Aug 5 Feb 13, 2009 ... Food bank commodity assistance program, $150000000. Temporary increase in benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (food stamps) ... Advanced batteries manufacturing, including lithium ion batteries, ...
   <CITE>www.propublica.org/.../the-stimulus-plan-a-detailed-list-of-spending</CITE> - Cached - Similar
   <LI class="g w0 knavi">What can you buy with food stamp benefits?
   
   <BUTTON class=ws title="" type=submit></BUTTON> You can also buy seeds and plants to grow food, as long as you are buying them from a store that accepts SNAP/food stamps (like a grocery store). ...
   <CITE>www.gettingfoodstamps.org/whatfood.htm</CITE> - Cached - Similar
2. Someone help me understand this. - MadJack Sports Forums
   
   <BUTTON class=ws title="" type=submit></BUTTON> So I go in the store and purchase Four dollars worth of batteries and ... Or are you saying people with food stamps shouldn't be allowed to by batteries? ...
   <CITE>www.madjacksports.com/forum/showthread.php?p=2745348</CITE>

===========================

Also found we just set another record of people on food stamps.

Americans Use of Food Stamps at All Time High - Finance - CBN News ...<BUTTON class=ws title="" type=submit></BUTTON>
Oct 7, 2010 ... A record 41.8 million people received food stamps in July, according to the US Department of Agriculture.
<CITE>www.cbn.com/.../Americans-Use-of-Food-Stamps-at-All-Time-High-/</CITE> - Cached
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--believe all states should consider this bill just passed in CA.

State Blocks Welfare Card Use In Cruise Ships, Casinos

First Posted: 10- 5-10 03:06 PM | Updated: 10- 5-10 03:12 PM

The Schwarzenegger administration is cutting off use of state-issued welfare debit cards at casinos across the country and on cruise ships, following a Times report that the aid cards have been used to spend or withdraw millions of dollars in benefits at popular vacation spots.
More than $69 million meant to help the needy pay their rent and clothe their children was accessed in 49 other states, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam between January 2007 and May 2010, according to data from the California Department of Social Services.

 

[CryBoy]

Batteries are not included.

Chips from a grocery store can be counted as food. However, if bought from a convenient store, are not. No chips. No sodas from the cooler. Sodas by the case of 12-pack are okay. Of course no beers or cigarettes.

There is no special discount for using the EBT card.

 

[Cie]

Batteries are not included.

:rimshot

 

[layinwood]

pisses me off too...

I saw a lady when my little one was on formula about 8 or 9 months ago buy 10 cans of formula that would be about 250 bucks real money if I bought them, I was buying 2 cans right behind her for 50 bucks, buy all 10 of them for 20 bucks:facepalm:

she probably sold them for 20 bucks each for cigarettes beer and drugs

Sometimes people just shouldn't say anything and this is one of those times.

God forbid a mom with no money use her food stamps for her baby. I bet you got pissed she didn't have to put gas in the bus she got on after that and you had to pay a buttload to fill your tank up.

 

[Cie]

Sometimes people just shouldn't say anything and this is one of those times.

God forbid a mom with no money use her food stamps for her baby. I bet you got pissed she didn't have to put gas in the bus she got on after that and you had to pay a buttload to fill your tank up.

This guy is scum. There are no two ways about it.

 

[StevieD]

Is it possible that the $2.50 was what she owed. In other words she owed $2.50 for the batteries but the food stamps picked up the other stuff?

 

[UGA12]

Is it possible that the $2.50 was what she owed. In other words she owed $2.50 for the batteries but the food stamps picked up the other stuff?

Nope forur dollars and change in batteries a dollar and change ice cream and a dollar and change bag of pretzels. According to what I saw none of these things should have been covered.

 

[Trampled Underfoot]

pisses me off too...

I saw a lady when my little one was on formula about 8 or 9 months ago buy 10 cans of formula that would be about 250 bucks real money if I bought them, I was buying 2 cans right behind her for 50 bucks, buy all 10 of them for 20 bucks:facepalm:

she probably sold them for 20 bucks each for cigarettes beer and drugs

Thanks for making an ass of yourself, again. :0074

 

[Woodson]

Monthly Income Guidelines

Monthly Income Guidelines

Table A - Households With Children <table border="1" width="100%"><tbody><tr> <td width="42%">Count the number of people in your household</td> <td width="58%">Your gross income must be equal to or less than</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="42%">1</td> <td width="58%">$1,805</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="42%">2</td> <td width="58%">$2,429</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="42%">3</td> <td width="58%">$3,052</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="42%">4</td> <td width="58%">$3,675</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="42%">5</td> <td width="58%">$4,299</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="42%">6</td> <td width="58%">$4,922</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="42%">7</td> <td width="58%">$5,545</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="42%">8</td> <td width="58%">$6,169</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="42%">for each additional person</td> <td width="58%">add $624</td></tr></tbody></table>

 

[Woodson]

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

Using the chart above with 2006 average salary of $50k and there is quite a LARGE group of people qualifying for SNAP (food stamps)

With one income and one stay at home parent, a couple kids could easily qualify you for SNAP.

People depend on this to survive.

I hear stories all the time from a friend in the public education about children coming to school hungry.

 

[Morris]

You cannot use your EBT card to buy soap, toothpaste, toilet paper

This is something I never could understand?

 

[hwnhrt]

I work in retail and can help you understand.

The EBT card can be used for both food or cash purchases. The cashier must be sure to enter each purchase correctly on the cash register, hitting the grocery button for food items, liquor button for beer, etc. Most items are scanned so it separates the food items from the non food items.

You purchased snack food and batteries, so when the EBT card scans, it says you had $2.50 in food items(if your state has an excise tax, you do not pay the tax when using the EBT card). If you continue the transaction and the $2.50 gets deducted, the cost of the batteries will show up. The $4.08 needs to be paid in cash, UNLESS, your EBT card has a CASH balance on it. You can then have the cashier do a cash sale using the EBT card, rescan the card and the $4.08 will be deducted for the batteries.

In Hawaii, where I live, food is considered anything that you can eat, with one exception, you cannot buy anything hot (i.e. Safeway hot deli items, 7-11 hot food items). Easiest way for us to remember what foods can be sold using the EBT card is "If it's hot, cannot. If it's cold, it's sold."

I believe the CASH SALE balance on the EBT card is supposed to be used for other necessary items that cannot be purchased as food, like laundry soap, baby diapers or toilet paper. I've had a few customers who purchased cigarettes with the cash on their card. It ticks me off, but, there is nothing we can do, except maybe give them a dirty look. What a waste of tax dollars, "my" tax dollars. The state needs to find a way to track the cigarette and beer sales and disqualify anyone who abuses the system. Geez, I wish the state would buy my cigarettes for me too.

Hope this helped you,
h

 

[UGA12]

I work in retail and can help you understand.

The EBT card can be used for both food or cash purchases. The cashier must be sure to enter each purchase correctly on the cash register, hitting the grocery button for food items, liquor button for beer, etc. Most items are scanned so it separates the food items from the non food items.

You purchased snack food and batteries, so when the EBT card scans, it says you had $2.50 in food items(if your state has an excise tax, you do not pay the tax when using the EBT card). If you continue the transaction and the $2.50 gets deducted, the cost of the batteries will show up. The $4.08 needs to be paid in cash, UNLESS, your EBT card has a CASH balance on it. You can then have the cashier do a cash sale using the EBT card, rescan the card and the $4.08 will be deducted for the batteries.

In Hawaii, where I live, food is considered anything that you can eat, with one exception, you cannot buy anything hot (i.e. Safeway hot deli items, 7-11 hot food items). Easiest way for us to remember what foods can be sold using the EBT card is "If it's hot, cannot. If it's cold, it's sold."

I believe the CASH SALE balance on the EBT card is supposed to be used for other necessary items that cannot be purchased as food, like laundry soap, baby diapers or toilet paper. I've had a few customers who purchased cigarettes with the cash on their card. It ticks me off, but, there is nothing we can do, except maybe give them a dirty look. What a waste of tax dollars, "my" tax dollars. The state needs to find a way to track the cigarette and beer sales and disqualify anyone who abuses the system. Geez, I wish the state would buy my cigarettes for me too.

Hope this helped you,
h

This helps thanks. Maybe your right and the transaction would have continued, but just as I had to hit ok for the (correct)6.58 the 2.50 amount popped up in the same way making it seem that was all I owed total. You work with this stuff though so I would assume you know. The fact that cigs and beer can be bought in any way

 

[BobbyBlueChip]

What a waste of tax dollars, "my" tax dollars. The state needs to find a way to track the cigarette and beer sales and disqualify anyone who abuses the system. Geez, I wish the state would buy my cigarettes for me too.

Hope this helped you,
h

Your store gets the full price for the food and batteries, correct?

 

[hedgehog]

I believe the CASH SALE balance on the EBT card is supposed to be used for other necessary items that cannot be purchased as food, like laundry soap, baby diapers or toilet paper. I've had a few customers who purchased cigarettes with the cash on their card. It ticks me off, but, there is nothing we can do, except maybe give them a dirty look. What a waste of tax dollars, "my" tax dollars. The state needs to find a way to track the cigarette and beer sales and disqualify anyone who abuses the system. Geez, I wish the state would buy my cigarettes for me too.

Hope this helped you,
h

:sadwave: how do they have cash balances on food stamps?

shouldn't food stamps only be used for staple foods, bread, milk, beans, etc...

glad to hear batteries are not included

 

[hwnhrt]

Your store gets the full price for the food and batteries, correct?

Yes. The excise tax is not included with the food items, but, on non-food items it is.

Fact is, in Hawaii, the majority of people on public assistance don't really spend the money wisely. I work in a small M&P store, similar to a 7-11 store.

Most of the customers we have are locals that live in the community. When their cards get reloaded each month, instead of going to a regular grocery store like Safeway to stock up on meats, vegetables, etc. to last the month, they instead come in and buy junk food...candy, soda, chips. It's sad for me to do the transactions because I feel the parents should be feeding their kids a better diet.

I dunno. People are just not using the funds the way the state intended it to be used. I swear, if the state could track purchases, more than half of the people would get cut immediately. But, that's easier said than done.:shrug:

 

[redsfann]

People are just not using the funds the way the state intended it to be used.

And that is probably true wherever you live, unfortunately.

I used to live close to a family owned butcher shop and used to shop there a lot. Its been in the same location for 70+ years and since its been open the neighborhood has changed from solidly middle class homeowners to poorer renters.
I stopped in there one time on the 1st of the month--other than the butchers, I was the only white person in the place--and I was the only one to pay for my meat in cash. The next time I was in there I asked about that day and was told that was when the food stamp cards were re-loaded. He also told me that he thought that most of his customers spent all their food stamps at his store--and all he sold was meat, milk and bread.

 

[gardenweasel]

the main point of this clusterf-ck should be that you need to buy your batteries at a dollar store...

the sunbeam alkaline cost about a fourth or fifth of energizers and last nearly as long...

 

[UGA12]

the main point of this clusterf-ck should be that you need to buy your batteries at a dollar store...

the sunbeam alkaline cost about a fourth or fifth of energizers and last nearly as long...

I was at a store called "Dollar General" and bought 4 two packs of c batteries for 1$ a piece:shrug: