Giving money to someone on food stamps

[PetMom]

and other benefits.

Have had people ask us for money but we have not been approached in a while.

We do know of someone who is on benefits - food stamps and other benefits and want to help out.

It is not unemployment insurance.

Was told by another person that to give money would be against the 'rules'.

Thought that sounded odd. That to get benefits people are watched with their bank accounts making sure they don't have added income. That way they make sure they qualify.

Where is the govt. getting the money to keep track of this.

Not sending cash, sending a check.

Something is not adding up with this statement or is it a rule.

[disneysteve]

I'm sure the recipients bank accounts aren't monitored in real time but part of qualifying for benefits involves showing that your personal assets and income are below a certain level. If someone was regularly giving the person money, that could affect their qualifications.

Of course, it is a simple system to bypass which is why it is so highly abused. Don't put the money in the bank account. They can't track cash. I have dozens of patients on welfare who all work at under the table jobs and make decent incomes but that money doesn't show up anywhere so they are still able to qualify for benefits. The whole system is a farce.

[PetMom]

Thanks for reply.

Send a check and they'll just take it ot a check cashing place.

This is a gift and not going to be a regular thing at all - that would
up their income level if it was.

I guess the system is easy to manipulate but I don't want to assist in that.

[bjl584]

The system is super easy to manipulate. As Steve said, the govt. can't track cash.

Here in PA they are trying to pass a law so that people with more than X dollars in their bank account won't qualify for food stamps. What do you think people on benefits are going to do if that law is passed? A) drop out of the food stamp program because they have too many assets to qualify? Or, B) take the money out of their bank account and keep it in cash at their house?

You can give, but it has to be in cash or some other form of non-traceable donation. Don't wire money directly into their checking account for instance.

[disneysteve]

Just the other day, someone told me that they give their elderly mother supermarket gift cards to help out. She lives in subsidized senior housing. If they gave her money that went into her bank account, it could cause her rent to be increased, so they give the gift cards that don't get tracked. Same issue as with the food stamps or welfare benefits.

[JoeP]

We've given money to a family that was on hard times, in the form a Walmart gift card. This helped with clothing and school supplies for their son, as well as typical household items. We didn't ask for any kind of repayment and we did not track purchases. We did say "pay it forward" to another family in need once they get their feet on the ground.

[HousingCounselor]

I work closely with the Welfare Dept. at my job. The way they monitor your assets and deposits is they make you bring in all of your bank statements and they add up all deposits and average out your "income". If what you have received from family and friends is over the amount to qualify, you either get kicked off the program or receive a reduction in benefits.

Some would say to get around it just don't bring in you bank statements but that's when they could use your SSN to check Chexsystems to see if you have any accounts. Because of all the paperwork you sign to get benefits, it gives them permission to call the banks listed under your SSN to get balances and statements for any specified period of time.

[asmom]

I'm sure the recipients bank accounts aren't monitored in real time but part of qualifying for benefits involves showing that your personal assets and income are below a certain level. If someone was regularly giving the person money, that could affect their qualifications.

Of course, it is a simple system to bypass which is why it is so highly abused. Don't put the money in the bank account. They can't track cash. I have dozens of patients on welfare who all work at under the table jobs and make decent incomes but that money doesn't show up anywhere so they are still able to qualify for benefits. The whole system is a farce.

Come now Steve, a farce? Don't you think that is pretty strong? How many people do you have on welfare who do not work under the table jobs, are simply unable to obtain unemployment for any number of legitimate reasons and who are struggling on welfare? Comparatively I mean, be fair.

[bjl584]

Come now Steve, a farce? Don't you think that is pretty strong? How many people do you have on welfare who do not work under the table jobs, are simply unable to obtain unemployment for any number of legitimate reasons and who are struggling on welfare? Comparatively I mean, be fair.

There are legitimate reasons and legitimate cases of people on welfare sure, but the system that administors it is broke. Lots of waste, no good system to track where and how the money gets distributed, no follow up, no accountability. I have a feeling that is what Steve was alluding to.

[disneysteve]

There are legitimate reasons and legitimate cases of people on welfare sure, but the system that administors it is broke. Lots of waste, no good system to track where and how the money gets distributed, no follow up, no accountability. I have a feeling that is what Steve was alluding to.

Yes, I didn't mean to imply that everyone getting assistance is abusing the system. I was saying, as Brian pointed out, that the system is fundamentally flawed. I think a lot more people truly in need of assistance could be helped if they could find a better way to track and monitor things and weed out the abusers.

Another big problem is that the system virtually invites abuse by not tiering the benefits in any way. Literally, if you earn $1.00 above the income cut off, you loss all benefits. That is a huge disincentive to getting a job and getting off the assistance plan. I have patients who are willing and able to work but they remain on welfare because if they get a job, they lose their health insurance for themselves and their families and they can't afford to do that. Why not set up a partial benefits plan with a sliding scale based on income?

Lots of ways the system could be improved.