Stop welfare abuse
I work at a local grocery store. I am sick of the abuse of food stamps!!! Its the same people on food stamps for years. One family with younger children the mom stresses about her kids asthma but yet her and her husband always smell like smoke. They have money for smokes, as she pulled out her I8 phone, but we pay for thier kids to eat and medical care. When my kid goes to the Dr I pay, pharmacy I pay. I agree that people need help they should get it.
I don't get how people have the newest Iphone but yet have food stamps. Stop using the system, GET A JOB, PAY FOR YOUR OWN KIDS! Welfare should be temporary except for the truly disabled. Have some pride and teach your kids some morales.
Jhardworker 
Music gal How do people even get them... I remember 4 years ago I was jobless and my unemployment ran out which left me with a big fat zero for income, and I still couldn't get them.
Metsman Dont even get me started on this Section 8 system leaches...I have been watching it up close for a long long time,,,these lazy ass people work the system and do whatever they want...they have their rent paid and yet own 2 and 3 cars and can afford to be drunks and drug addicts...meanwhile I can be a single mom of 3 busting my ass working and trying to pay for county college for them and getting turned down for it because the little i make is too much...I really wish there was a way to change the system but there is not...My complex Washington Arms housing a bunch of these loosers!
Blake Lambert 
Bug3You forgot to say that she drove away in a Mercedes Benz and had a brand new manicure. You are falling down on the job.
EuphoriaMourning This is no different than the Food Pantry thread. Yes abuse of the system is upsetting but I'm just grateful that I don't need it (yet) and can work for what I do have. You can't possibly know everyone's story and they don't need to tell you so you can approve of what they are buying with their assistance monies.
It's not these individuals who are making it hard for everyone, it's the system, the economy etc. that's making it hard for them and the rest of everyone. It doesn't pay to "get ahead" because then you can't afford the health care that you were getting for free or the groceries that constantly go up in price. What would you have them do?
The smokes and the booze aren't going to change their financial situation by much if they give them up. They are just trying to get by the best they can. I'm sure they appreciate (NOT) your judgement.
One reason for the nice cell phone might be that they are on someone else's plan (mom, aunt, grandma) and these phones come with the line. Good at least they have something because financial security is something they certainly don't have.
Maybe, just maybe, judge not lest you be judged would be a better way.
Walking Girl I just love how someone who works at a local grocery store is judging someone else on what they do with their money.
So since we are doing that I'm going to make an assumption about you.
You clearly are getting help by someone with a higher income, because there is no way you are paying your bills on you own with a low income job in this area.
What would happen to you if you lost your breadwinner income?
I read somewhere that most people are 2 lost paychecks away from being homeless. I have a corporate job that I do pretty well at, yet if I lost my job tomorrow I could maybe hold out for 2-3 months before I would be in real trouble, because I pay all my house bills on my own.
Why do you care about what other people do with their money? Ring up your sales and keep it moving.
Rickter1 Just google how to turn abusers in. It's easy.
And then tell your boss that you're single-handedly stopping massive 1% violations while simultaneously lowering your store's revenues.
Think of it as a career move.
stangerdanger I just tackle anyone in line at the grocery store, using any type of assistance. After I get them to the ground I give them a weggy until their underwear rips. Then I feel so much better.
Weedwacker #1 @ 'Rickter1'...food stamps isn't just "their money", its our tax payers money.
#2 @ 'Rickter1'...who is to say that the person who started this thread, could possibly be retired and no longer needs to work, but chooses to have a part time job for fun, to stay active, etc.
#3 anyone that is on public assistance should need to take a drug test, should not be a smoker, and unless they are disabled, they should have a max limit for how long they can be on it
#4 you know how many skumbags I see at stores who literally buy something small so they can get the 'cash back' from their fancy little card they have, with our tax dollars loaded on it
#5 this rant can go on and on and on..........
I’m divorced with kids and yes I’m supported now partially by the state . So now the state has replaced my husband . We all get help . Be careful how you criticize as no one is exempt of a non planned change .
Friendly McFriend Seriously- seriously?? I work for one and there is NO WAY they get cash back when using their food card. NO WAY!
Botheredbyuu2 #1 Yes, but it's more of mine than yours, so pay up..... :>).
#2 Who cares?
#3 Moot, there is a limit. And most people on SNAP comply with your restrictions already.
#4 I'll be your straight man: No, how many scumbags do you see and can they spell better than youse? How much cash can they get?
#5 please do, we can use the laughs
Botheredbyuu2 - Hate to break it to you, but some systems will allow it...like Walmart. I was in there the other morning around 6:30am and saw a kid come in, buy a pack of gum, to get cash back to pay for a cab. So regardless of what the money is used for, YES, some systems WILL allow you to get cash back.
Seriously, I'm amazed at how judgemental people are...
Karma has a way of finding people...be careful of the things you say.
As if you can't get in a car wreck, become permanently disabled, or mentally destroyed.
Calling people scumbags lol
I just called Division of Temporary Assistance and Social services in Belvidere (908) 475-6331. I was inquiring about eligibility requirements for food stamps/S.N.A.Pall this person could tell me that a couple could earn no more than $2,500 a month to even be considered. There were other requirements but she was unable to provide them. When I asked how I could get more information on eligibility and benefits provided she said I would have to apply. I told her I was not eligible for these benefits. How could I speak to someone who would give me the information I requested. The only way I could speak to a "Case Worker" was if I was eligible to receive benefits of course I am not, so she suggested I research it on the internet. As a tax payer I am sure I am entitled to this information but the wall of secrecy the government puts up is clearly troubling. What is more telling is the people who are eligible do get to meet with a "Case Worker" and are given a full explanation of what they are eligible for and the parameters of what is not eligible. This enables a secret/inside baseball system where those people who are in the system are able to network with others in the system to maximize their free benefits provided by the government(welfare,Obama phone,section 8 housing etc..)
hammer Cool,
Thank you for the laugh! I was joking about people getting in others business & then posting about it on a public forum.
Im to busy trying to pay my own bills & keep my head above water. I have no time to worry how others pay their own bills.
Most of this is due to payments made in error.
On average, about 4.8 percent of assistance payments by federal and state government agencies were made in error in 2015, according to a 2016 GAO report. The error rate for SNAP was estimated at about 3.7 percent and for Medicaid at about 9.8 percent
https://www.gao.gov/mobile/products/GAO-16-554
We. Need to adopt model legislation drafted by the Foundation for Government Accountability, we need to ito preserve finite government resources by ensuring that only eligible people are receiving benefits.
https://thefga.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Welfare-Reform-Bill-2017.pdf
This would require recipients to prove their identity. and immigration status and requires the state to check any information that might indicate a change in eligibility at least quarterly. states will save millions by canceling benefits for those who are dead, who don’t qualify, or who are committing fraud. If every state adopted the practices it advocates, the total savings could be up to $8 billion annually per FGA
Skippy I personally know someone who relies on foodstamps. She has for years. It is a way of life for many. I also recognize that people fall on hard times and need this help until they get back on their feet.
The woman I know just had her 5th child (no twins). She went on foodstamps shortly after her 2nd was born. Medicaid pays her medical bills. She refuses to marry because she will then have to claim her significant others wages.
When you pay taxes, this is your business weedwacker.
Btw....Planned Parenthood (aka condoms, abortions and birth control) are available to her! When a person goes on foodstamps for a certain number of people in the household, that should be final. Her inability to close her legs should not be a tax paying citizens problem.
Botheredbyuu2......What i've seen is on the foodstamp card there can be an account for "food" and another for "cash"......Each one is seperate in that you have to qualify for each.....I'm 99 percent sure that they CAN get cash back from that account. If they ONLY have the foodstamps, then NO they can NOT get cash back....
littlelu Seriously- there is food stamps on the card, but there is also cash assistance.
2 totally separate things on the card.
They must have pushed the cash button on the keypad. That is allowed.
If they are buying food and using the food button, they can NOT get cash back.
Littlelu - correct!
,
So the grocery clerk who minds other people's business; if your boss fires you for badmouthing customers, being lazy, or whatever, you'll be the first on line and guess what? You'll still have a CAR, which you'll likely drive to the welfare office, and you'll likely still have your PHONE in your hand, because it's already paid for, and heaven forbid you just got a manicure the day before you were fired. People will be judging YOU, too.
Karma is real and I hope she's reading.
@what-The only thing your "EVER" hear from liberals is SS is going to be cut and run out of money. You "NEVER" hear those liberals say welfare will be cut or run
out of money. Been this way for 50 yrs.
auntiel Just like most other threads with political/social topics, just can clearly identify conservatives from liberals. Liberals have a tolerance for system abuse, as long as those truly in need get help. On the other hand, conservatives take a more practical position - stop the abuse, to preserve the system for those who truly need it.
All these programs have become a way of life for way too many people. Just once - I'd like to hear/read a single Liberal agree entitlements need to cut/eliminated/modified. I won't hold my breathe.
"The only thing your "EVER" hear from liberals is SS is going to be cut and run out of money. You "NEVER" hear those liberals say welfare will be cut or run
out of money. Been this way for 50 yrs."
I never noticed.... that's a very interesting dichotomy....
JeffersonRepub There are also white collar criminals who abuse the system in other ways that cost the taxpayers . Let’s be fair .
Cool - Very true. Anyone who is taking any kind of benefits illegally, whether it's food stamps, welfare, section 8 housing, disability, worker's comp. is a criminal in my book.
autiel - Great point!
Calico696 How bout we stop the middle class abuse!!!!!! We get screwed by these Trump tax cuts/reform.....All in the name of helping the rich get richer... Now we have a governor who is more intrested in raising taxes to help illegal immigrants and free college education for some than helping the people paying for this crap... People are worried about poor/ less fortunate abusing the system?? Yet the crooks running the system are screwing everyone!!!! So at the end of the day unless u are filthy f+#$ rich we all get screwed and abused!!!! Again stop the middle class abuse!! Enough is enough!!
Mr. Tone JR --- they have different funding processes, that's why. It's not liberal, it's accounting...…..sorry that it makes accounting sense.
Hey, Medicare/Medicaid funding process is the stupidest of them all. Check that one out.
Jhardworker. I'm sure it is difficult to work long hours to earn money for food, housing and clothing and at the same time, know that others are given these things, seemingly with no intention to change their status. For some, it is a generational tradition. Next frustrating day, do call your representatives. We pay them and their staff to work for us. If we don't complain, they do nothing.
When it is your tax money that is being misused, you have a very good right to an opinion. If someone thinks that's bad karma or judgemental, shame on them. The money could be better spent on people who can improve their lives legitimately. They should consider that better alternative before they judge you.
maja2 @rickter1 first, this is my second job. I have a higher paying primary job.
I wouldn't judge someone how to spend their money, public assistance is not their money. It comes from the public. I firmly believe help should be there for those in need. Not a way of life.
@cool u get divorced and get assistance- I lost my spouse, sold my home went into a condo and picked up a second job.
The reason I started the post was that both husband and wife shop together. They have been on food stamps as long as I have been at the store-5 years.
My point was raising a family is difficult. Life is hard. I find it sad that this family uses the system. I pay to raise my kid others, if able bodied, should have some pride get off the couch and get a job.
There have always been parasites. That single mother of 5 probably gets at least 50k in total benefits while the cashier pulls in 25k gross per year -- something is wrong here. What is the incentive to work? Work ethic, where has it gone for too many?
iJay "The money could be better spent on people who can improve their lives legitimately. "
That's just the point; nobody in your mind will ever qualify, because you look at them for 30 seconds or a minute and make a snap judgment with NO FACTS. How do YOU know just by a 1 minute interaction at a cash register whether they legitimately need it or not? Why not become a social worker so you can be in a better position to judge?
Sneer at karma all you want. Just remember you did so when things go wrong.
Wow, five kids and 50k in benefits. How do you do that?
Show your work please :-)
You never know what is around the corner for you.
@jayhardworker, If you lost your life tomorrow(God forbid) what happens to your kid?
You never know why someone is going through what they are going through in life. Poking your finger at people, and being critical when you have no idea why they are where they are in life is just bad karma.
When you lost your spouse did you want people judging you and telling you to get over it? What if you didn't have a house to sell?
Everyone recovers from trauma different ways.Some never get up from it. Don't judge people for hurting financially when you don't know the story of how they got there.
It doesn't sound like they were ever mean to you so why judge people off of their perceived problems? Judge people off their actions towards you and your's, not off of perceived abuse of welfare.
Sorry for your loss. Just think you need to open up your mind more to other people's problems that you have no idea about. We all forget about our darkest moments when things get better, try to remember what it was like when you were at your darkest moment.
Five kids and $50K in benefits? It could easily be a heck of a lot more than that.
If any of those kids is young (not school aged), then NJ won't make the mother work. (And even if she's working a part-time low-wage job, it's not much different.) If she is not receiving child support--perhaps the father(s) are unidentified, dead, in prison, unemployed, etc.--and neither she nor the kids are permanently disabled, then NJ will fully support all of them. Housing will be provided, for all six, as well as energy assistance. Food stamps/WIC and cash benefits, for all. Full health benefits for all, including dental and optical care and prescriptions. Free/discounted school meals for kids. They can even get free cell phones and wireless service. That could easily add up to far more than $50K per year--for many years.
You might also consider the non-welfare benefits, which ultimately also cost the state's other residents. The mother can go to local food banks and receive boxes of free food, every month. Then think of all of those other donation programs, like groups that collect winter coats or toys for kids--the mother could also receive those. And, of course, one should not forget that each child in public school costs the government thousands of dollars per year.
So, one can easily understand why some people are outraged, at the state's welfare system. How do you motivate citizens to go out and work hard all day, every day, and still struggle to make ends meet, when they see other citizens receiving tens of thousands of dollars in free benefits, every year, year after year, simply because they decided to have children they cannot afford to raise?
JerseyWolf If abortion is made illegal,there will be more unwanted, abused children, along with their parents to support. Weird, how most pro life people are against any kind of government assistance to help them, whilst most pro choice people believe in helping all humans. It’s just a generalization, based on the posts I’ve read. There’s always the exception to the rule. I just see hypocrisy in a lot of pro life people.
“simply because they decided to have children they cannot afford to raise?” It’s not always a “decision”. If they can’t afford them, they shouldn’t be forced into bringing them into the world that says” I want to force you to have that baby, but don’t ask for any help, AKA *entitlements* ooohh...a really bad word...something ones entitled to.
Guilty-Remnant In America, 2018, having a child may not be a "decision"--but the actions leading up to having one certainly are. It's not like people don't know where babies come from. And abortion is still sufficiently legal that rape victims can obtain one. And, of course, there are millions of adults in the world seeking to adopt children.
Not really "taking political sides," here--but those are the facts.
Time to wake up SD. The free health insurance with no copays or deductibles alone could be half of the 50k for a family of 6, then add free section 8 apartment, food benefits, and more and that number is hit.
What do you think it costs, 25k total, LOL...
Mr Tone speak for yourself... The tax cuts helped my family. Go after the state of NJ that abuses the tax system on it's citizens. It isn't the federal governments fault. It is absolutely ridiculous for people to be paying over $10K a year for small properties...
Listen, if you don't like NJ or the taxes (as many people don't), then leave. Can't bitch and complain about taxes in a state that you refuse to leave. NJ is impossible to retire in. I like NJ but hate the taxes, but unfortunately, there isn't anything I can do since I want to live here. I consider it a monthly slap on my ass when I pay my mortgage....slap away...slap away lol
I have to say, having a permanently disabled child means I need to find a job that is very flexible. I have strict hours I could work, I need to be able to drop everything and go to my child if she has a bad day, or one of the other children she goes to school with has one and it involves my daughter in any way.
We get SSI for her since I really haven't been able to find a job that flexible nearby. We can't afford a car, and yes we get Medicaid. How much of that SSI check we receive depends on my husband's income. Every month it changes and every year we get hit with overpayment recalls of at least $1000 a year because they never calculate the figures properly, which they take off her checks every month.
It's not a matter of not wanting to work, but finding a job that means my daughter comes first. I can't place my child is just any daycare, her condition requires specialize care workers. She goes to school 11 months a year, which means I can only work 11 months a year.
So please, tell me how we are abusing the system again?
the ones that claim disability and work under the table; and the ones that are not so sick and still do not want to work, or other instances of abuse.
Hackresident Stella at the old Stiger St Shop-Rite policed the front end and limited them to what they were allowed. The best was the couple in a new Caddy from PV trying to pay with food stamps for filet mignon and jumbo shrimp, maybe they're still in jail. Then again it was the 1960's and common sense applied in the workplace.
As the Circle Jerks once sang, "10 kids in a Cadillac stand in line for welfare checks, Let's all adopt the state, gee the money's really great. We just get by however we can...We all gotta duck, when the S**t hit's the fan"
One-eyed Poacher Omg!! The misinformation and assumptions are hillaire!!! Really comical stuff... let me educate you all......
1.) section 8 is not “free” it’s 80/20 usually where the renter is responsible for 20% and even more of their rent... some of these homes are super crappy, sone are not but it takes a hell of long time to get a voucher and then find a place that accepts it
2.) women with children are only allowed the first 7 months after delivery to be exempt from the work force program after that they must go to the program or be employed
3.) there is a cut off for the amount of children that can be on a welfare budget
4.) in order to obtain food stamps you must have a source of income
5) whoever the non custodial parent is they will be expected to pay child support and will be under the child support enforcement in order for the custodial parent to obtain benefits... any child support money obtained goes to pay back the welfare so it doesn’t go to the custodial parent, it goes to the child support enforcement unit
6.) there is a time limit for people on welfare especially cash benefits, you can thank president Clinton for that one
H-town Mama 6.) there is a time limit for people on welfare especially cash benefits, you can thank president Clinton for that one
You can thank the Republican Congress who send the bill to Bill Clinton who was in no position to veto it.
kb2755 H-Town Mama, Those might be the official rules.But they are not enforced correctly.Try a section 8 mother with several children and a live in boyfriend.They trashed the home they lived in and did not work. Two dumpsters worth of garbage had to be removed from the home after they left for new section 8 housing.They walked away completely free after all the damage and are probably still doing that today.The home had to have all new carpeting installed and other repairs at the landlords expense.Reform is needed.
Food stamp fraud....People need to stop abusing a system that was designed to help the poor and needy. Use our president as a role model! He NEVER tries to take advantage of government programs. All the KFC he can eat and never uses food stamps. What a guy!
Enuff: when did this take place, how long ago? when in 2017 or 2018??
How come Section 8 gave them another place to live after they trashed the first place?
H-Town Mama,You obviously are employed in the welfare/social services system. So I have some follow up questions about your post .
1) What is the "Work Force program? 2) Who takes care of the children when employment is found and the costs involved? 3)What is the time limit on receiving welfare? 4) Please elaborate on "especially cash benefits" such as the pros and cons of not having that benefit and the dollar amounts involved? 5)Please elaborate on "must have a source of income" does investment income count? Social Security? unemployment? or only income from a job? 6)What is the maximum dollar amount allowed under S.N.A.P.? and how is it determined? 7.) Are undocumented people allowed to receive any benefits and if so which ones? 8) lastly what would you estimate the annual cost to be for a single individual who is eligible for all the free benefits provided by the state/county?
President Trump should revamp the entire welfare system so people who need it can get it and people who abuse it can't. It should be TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE, like unemployment.
Trump Supporter There is a man I work with at primary job. He was awarded SSI due to back injury- heavy equipment operator. Poor guy has had several major back surgeries. He is always in pain. This man despite his disability, at times he is in wheelchair, got a grant went to technology school and know makes more than he did before his injury. I asked him how he does it - reply he has kids and despite injuries he wanted a life for his family- He says he has a family and wants his kids to know you can overcome obstacles.
@rickrter1. You just proved the point. So many live paycheck to paycheck and assistance is a safetynet. What happened if the safety net isn't there? I too often see seniors but food back, not steaks and lobsters, as the bill was too high. While I see this daily come in and pay with food stamps. They are able bodied. I don't know how they look the kids in the eye. Sorry when I am friends with a man that is disabled and no one would think twice about him getting help, but he chooses to work it makes me think the system is broken!!!
These two parents should get jobs.
Oh the owner of the store agrees. The owners help people who really need a safety net . They were going to offer wife a job but she made it clear she wouldn't work retail. Lol
All they do, really, is review income tax filings. But many do cash and/or lie. Have girlfriends/boyfriends but never marry so as to not get "on the books."
Point is, all of us are selfish; it just is to what extent we are selfish. Those who are very selfish have no issues with cheating.
Solutions?
1) Bring back the work ethic in this country. It should not be about a Kardashian almost being a billionaire via a garbage cosmetic company. It should be about doing the best you can every day, not what you can "get away with."
2) Revamp the assistance system to use more IT and surveillance to limit fraud.
3) Use assistance as a pathway to self-sufficiency under 98% of the situations, not a lifelong thing.
Do surveillance on those on disability and see what they really do all day!
Get the fakers who commit fraud who know how to work all the NJ systems of $$$, off of it all.
ru @hammer
Put in your application here and tell us the results
https://www.benefitsapplication.com/program_info/NJ/Food%20Stamps?s_src=m&s_cid=300001867&s_agid=1287528117820745&s_tid=kwd-80470508389005:loc-4113&s_k=%2Bfood%20%2Bstamp%20%2Bnj&s_mt=b&s_n=o&s_d=c&s_adid=80470549056752&s_pos=0&msclkid=56b9251dcbf21e61deb07e54b54cf08d&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=NJ%20-%20FS%20AUTO&utm_term=%2Bfood%20%2Bstamp%20%2Bnj&utm_content=MODIFIED%20-%20food%20stamp%20nj
Dr. Benway If a person receives welfare yes it should be temporary. Or how about community services while the kids are in school. But after reading all this I think I should quit my job stay home enjoy my kids and let the system take care of us .
Pati "Obama's Nanny State is almost over and then it will get ugly..."
Please explain Obama's Nanny State?
Some of the attitudes of the people on this forum are DISGUSTING. I am so glad I moved out of Hackettstown and don't feel the need to check this board for USEFUL TOWN RELATED INFO anymore. it has devolved into gossip, racism, and ignoarnce, in so many posts. I hope you find empathy and love in your hearts and in your lives, but I imagine most of the chronic busybody racist crabs on here will continue to bring the misery this forum seems to so richly enjoy. Peace ya'll.
JelloMold Dr. Benway,Filled out S.N.A.P. application and I am not eligible, which was no surprise to me. I want to know the details of how/why someone does qualify, none of which is given when you fill out this application.
“If a person receives welfare yes it should be temporary. Or how about community services while the kids are in school. But after reading all this I think I should quit my job stay home enjoy my kids and let the system take care of us .”
Pati....go ahead, give it a try. See how easy it is to get “the system” to give away all that free stuff. Just because there’s programs (getting cut as I type this), doesn’t mean they’re readily available. Your statement speaks truths, meaning the whole reason “the system” is withholding giving everyone access to healthcare is to keep people, who hate their jobs, enslaved. The government doesn’t want companies to deal with a mass exodus of employees, who work for access to insurance. There’s so many over age 50, doing teenager jobs, for minimum wage, just to have access to healthcare. It’s sick, when I see an older person, after working their entire lives, have to take a second mortgage (only to go into foreclosure), to pay for one hospital stay. Where’s “the system”?
The freebies are not easy to receive, nor enjoy. The paperwork, alone, is a full time job. You first have to be homeless, penniless, “car-less”,(if worth more than $2k), no adult family members, and children or extremely bad health. Good luck, trying to find Medicaid doctors. Right now, without knowing your financial situation, the ONLY qualification you have to pull off the impossible is having children.
How many of you working people out there, never see a doctor unless you’re suffering relentlessly? The deductibles and premiums are so high that people are dying because they can’t afford the extra $25k per year(premiums, prescriptions, and doctors bills, if no hospitalization). For a couple, with corporate insurance, this is the average $$amount one needs to have lying around.
Healthcare is a necessity, like having a military for our safety. Suicide is illegal, yet mental help is not getting covered by insurance (except “the system”.....another logical behavior that doesn’t add up). Therapists are covered...not MDs. Why does our country act like we are so against humans suffering, yet if help is made available (and it would be, without these crazy tax cuts on the ultra wealthy), people bitch about “entitlements”. They’re called that, for a reason.
Pati....the top portion was mainly a reply to your post. The rest of my post is just in general. Attack time...all you guys, with wonderful, lifetime benefits, core pension (most corporate youngsters don’t even know that word). They think the 401k IS the core pension. It’s the ONLY pension they may see, if their health doesn’t fail a little too soon. Most folks are in a very vulnerable position, They just don’t realize it, yet.
I think everyone knows I am against entitlement programs as much as anyone here.
that being said...
https://www.state.nj.us/humanservices/dfd/news/cps_apr18.pdf
NJ is trending downward in entitlement payouts by every metric since 2013
Federal enrollment in SNAP dropped to 40,083,954 in March 2018 - the lowest in 8 years - the trends are positively correlated.
https://fns-prod.azureedge.net/sites/default/files/pd/34SNAPmonthly-07.pdf
Trump administration has focused on SNAP by controlling program costs at the federal and state levels and the trend has continued.
The USDA hired an “integrity officer” in March to prevent fraud in the country’s SNAP program who will conduct a “third-party review” of all 15 nutrition assistance programs—including SNAP; WIC; as well as the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs; and the Summer Food Service Program.
https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2018/03/29/usda-expands-focus-program-integrity-across-all-nutrition-programs
here are the agency decisions where they kick people off after hitting their lifetime cap
https://www.state.nj.us/humanservices/dfd/news/fads18.html
hammer the stats and requirements around SNAP are easily discernable
https://www.state.nj.us/humanservices/dfd/programs/njsnap/index.html
so even if waste, fraud and abuse were prevalent - the numbers are improving over the last 5 years.
Patti and Hammer,
Hang in there. Depending on how the economy goes in the next couple of years, a job loss, a death or illness in the family, an accident, you just might qualify when you least expect it.
I guarantee your chances of qualifying are greater than your chances of winning the lottery. (for any substantial amount of course)
I hope neither of you ever get there. I'm sure it's not fun.
Dodgebaal Skippy, SNAP is one of the better programs around with a lower overhead than most programs. We have provided the fraud stats and they are low also.
It's this urban myth that isn't true. Anecdotes are not statistics. Judging others can be tainted by your own baggage prejudging and leading you to erroneous conclusions.
" the vast majority of SNAP trafficking occurs—smaller stores that typically offer minimal access to the healthier foods encouraged by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans." It's not SNAP users, it's Main Street :>) (kidding)
"The rate of trafficking in larger grocery stores and supermarkets—where 82 percent of all benefits were redeemed—remained low at less than 0.5 percent." So, this Shoprite stuff people are constantly seeing --- hmmm, nice that you catch the .5%.... Good eyes.
Total trafficking equals ONE CENT on the Dollar. So let's hire a hire, a SNAP Czar, at what, a few hundred thousand a year, to find a penny in a pile of 100 pennies.....
"SNAP continues to have one of the lowest fraud rates for Federal programs."
I think we need to crack down on these scofflaws; let's hire a posse.....That'll save money.....
https://www.fns.usda.gov/pressrelease/2013/fns-001213
Forbes concludes: "The takeaway is that food stamp fraud ballooned during the four years through 2016 but that it still represents a tiny percentage of the program." Here's a good, factual, summary: https://www.forbes.com/sites/simonconstable/2018/04/04/the-facts-about-food-stamp-fraud/#5e55e53bf880
Facts are our friends fighting anecdotal thinking everywhere.
I didn’t disagree with any of that - not sure why I’m being accused of being prejudicial.
Here’s why you have a SNAP czar - the costs of having one is statistically insignificant in the scope of the overall program and it demonstrates to otheres that there’s accountability in the administration of the funds. Same reason why every federal department has an AG - they audit and their very existence ferrets our and prevents waste fraud and abuse.
I also like what trump is doing with the Dept of Ag where eligible parties are receiving boxes of produce in addition to supplemental nutrients
Sorry, second graph was meant to be general, you're included only if you think so. Coulda worded it better....but this was shorter :>)
My point is hiring a SNAP Czar to chase one penny on the dollar versus using that same talent to chase bigger problems of waste, which I am sure you can find, seems misguided except as a PR move.
"I also like what trump is doing with the Dept of Ag where eligible parties are receiving boxes of produce in addition to supplemental nutrients." Exaqueeze me: this is a program started in 1969.
15 states added under Obama; one under Trump. Trump's current 2019 Budget eliminates the program.
Sorry Skip.
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