Food stamps | Imamother

amother

Plum

Fri, Sep 27 2024, 4:23 pm

amother Impatiens wrote:

Hooray to all the people that can easily afford to fill their carts to the brim and walk up and down the aisles at whim. I am sincerely happy for you.
When I look around will I pinpoint you as a snap person? Idk. But vast majority in my community are very recognizable. There’s all these extras and comforts that they allow themselves to buy - and even little kids fill their carts…
We were discussing it as a group the other day and someone was saying that when she sees a person filling a cart with ice cream she *knows* it’s uncle same paying.
Again, there are the rich understated and the poor overrated and the middle income who splurge on food and everything in between but by and large looking around will give you a picture

Or maybe I’m filling my cart with ice cream because it’s the cheapest birthday party I could think of for my daughter since I can’t afford one of the fancy places or even pizza.

And no,I don’t get fs. I’m poor middle class

tweety1 ↓

Fri, Sep 27 2024, 4:25 pm

exhausted wrote:

I get food stamps and no, you cannot tell from my cart. There are no fancy extras, no bought dips, no precut vegetables. I'm very very careful and it still doesn't last the whole month.

Came on here to day this exactly. How judgemental!

↑ tweety1

Fri, Sep 27 2024, 4:26 pm

amother Impatiens wrote:

Most judgemental statement I've read on imamother in a while

Hashem_Yaazor

Fri, Sep 27 2024, 4:27 pm

amother Impatiens wrote:

Just yesterday I heard that it’s a popular practice to apply on maternity leave when one doesn’t have income with a no income letter. (Obviously relating to people who are over income when they are working, and these same people have plans to continue working after 6 weeks paid family leave)
Not sure how that is not considered fraud but yes it’s a regular practice apparently.

Depending on the state, they really want to see the current/past month income and then they give you an income change that you must report if you get an increase, not if your increase isn't that high, you technically don't have to report until they send asking to prove income again (in 6-12 months). So if the family really has a decrease that time of maternity leave (it's unpaid), it's allowed... It's a month by month basis vs annual.

That being said, I don't know anyone who did this.

amother

↑ Impatiens

Fri, Sep 27 2024, 4:37 pm

I notice that imamother threads get heated when everyone is trying to prove that their anecdotal evidence is the way of the land.
I clearly say that in my community it is evident. Is it foolproof? No.
That doesn’t mean that those who are wealthy and don’t dress up to shop for food or those that are poor but wear brands and those that are in chinuch, or those that that they own the store, or those that will not skimp on food, or or or… I stand by what I said in my community. Does that mean it’s the same in your nucleus family, neighborhood, state, country? No.

amother

DarkKhaki

Fri, Sep 27 2024, 4:41 pm

Yes. Bh.
It covers abt a third of my monthly food bill .
Usually used up by the first week of the month- I’m not due for a refill until the 5th of the month and my bank account is currently negative (by a small amount BH) so I made shabbos with what I had in the house …

amother

Eggplant

Fri, Sep 27 2024, 4:57 pm

amother Impatiens wrote:

No but a quick look around the grocery and I go carts will tell you who does and doesn’t.
There’s a very telling sign when carts are piled high with things that middle income people only get once every few yomim tovim.
Not bashing just saying

AGREED 100%

and before people go bashing how dare you speak bad about other frum people, this is everywhere. I see this with the general population in ShopRite etc…

Seems that the people purchasing things with less of a budget are those who aren’t actually paying for it .

(No , I am not on food stamps. But I sure have eyes. )

amother

Periwinkle

Fri, Sep 27 2024, 5:04 pm

amother Impatiens wrote:

I have food stamps.
I understand there is a preconceived notion of people with free money loading their cart with lots of extra but with today's economy it is not true for most people. There are always people who shop without boundaries, no matter how they are paying probably the only exception is one who only pays with cash. I must watch what I buy . No food stamps does not cover the food expenses of a frum family. I shop on sale. Bake my own baked goods and challa. Never buy take out. Besides school snacks (sale) and frozen pizza (sale and stock up) we purchase very little prepared food. Food stamps does not make it through the month! We spend plenty of money In addition!

amother

Lily

Fri, Sep 27 2024, 7:02 pm

If you are 100% honest with every government form and reporting all income- then one shouldn't be able to "save the FS money for YT meat" and buy fancy items.
You would need the money for daily food expenses. While food stamps are not a lot, given that most of these kids would get free breakfast/lunches at school (public school for sure and many yeshivos in NY have kosher food lunches that are free to low income) the food money goes a lot further. Add in WIC and a family could survive if they don't buy fancy foods.

Unfortunately- many people lie. They earn income "off the books", accept payment in cash, or other means that the IRS would not be happy with. They earn too much to qualify but play games.
Many states have policies on these programs that if your income changes you need to report it even if it is before the required renewal date. But people don't.

We report everything required. Don't qualify. And could really use it. My state it is pure income/family size, nothing to do with getting Medicaid or unemployment. I am in a very Blue state and caught in the lower middle class bracket where between rent, utilities and food we are stuck with nothing leftover.

amother

Razzmatazz

Sat, Sep 28 2024, 11:14 pm

amother Impatiens wrote:

Then need to update income, and it takes a while to get kicked off
So end up with a few months on, not long term
At that point the person is income eligable. True, may get a month extra but if they are following regulations and submit right when they are over then there is no fraud going on.

amother

Gladiolus

Sat, Sep 28 2024, 11:18 pm

I just want to point out that a family of 6 gets the same whether they have 4 preschoolers/ toddlers or 4 teenage boys. The family with toddlers may be able to fargin themselves some luxury items like cut up fruit but the family of teenagers won’t. That doesn’t mean anyone is cheating.

amother

Oxfordblue

Sat, Sep 28 2024, 11:26 pm

amother Lily wrote:

I disagree. We are very very frugal with food. Food stamps would give us something like double what I usually spend.

We are not eligible at this point.

amother

↑ Snow

Sun, Sep 29 2024, 12:08 am

amother Blonde wrote:

What about assets do they come in to affect for applying?
We are making very little and would qualify but have assets from family members

In NY, I'm pretty sure assets do not count towards eligibility. Only current income. If the assets bring in income, that income steam would count.