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This is such a hot topic for me and makes me really frustrated. Yes, I do feel it is important to have social programs to help those in need, but I think the food stamp program is so out of whack. Let me share my experience of what I have seen and maybe you will have a better understanding of why I am so frustrated.
I know families who are in medical school and have children and qualify for food stamps. One particular family has 4 children- ages 5, 4, 2 and 7 months. They get almost $800/month in food stamps (in the midwest where food prices aren't even as crazy as other places). The baby nurses so they don't have to buy formula, and if they wanted they could qualify for WIC also which would provide formula. Now I have a family of 4- children are ages 5 and 2 and I only spend $200/month. $800 seems so excessive to me. And really it is for them. They have had to get a huge freezer in their garage to store all their extra food. They brag about the 90 boxes of cereal they have in their garage. Their fridge is filled with soda and popsicles and processed foods. And, it gets worse. Since they have so much extra money they don't need, they buy their dad his diet coke and then he pays them cash for it. Yeah, I know, so illegal, but no one is stopping them.
So my number one issue is that people get too much money for food stamps. What is going to encourage them to earn an income and make more money if they are going to lose $800/month for groceries, plus free health care! Now in this case he is going to be a doctor, so he will eventually do well on his salary, but there is going to be a period when this family will be in residency and they will only make $40,000 a year. Their solution: If they have one more child they will still qualify for food stamps and medicaid. They will experience a cut in food stamps because when you make some income they decrease the amount you receive. I am interested to see what they do then. If they can hack $400/month on groceries.
I know not every situation is like this, most aren't, but others that I know that receive it get way more than necessary. The only reason they would need all that money is if they are buying junk at the grocery store or expensive meats.
The other thing that really bothers me is what you can buy on food stamps- candy and soda and ice cream!! Come on. You should not be able to get FAT on food stamps. If you want soda and candy that should be something you earn money for and buy yourself, and not let the taxpayers pay for it. They should give less money in food stamps and spend more time educating people on how to prepare meals. And they should stipulate what people can buy.
Now I know there are cases of those people that are doing everything they can and they really need food stamps and I defintely encourage them to get them, but I guarantee that the amount they get is enough for their food needs. I have another friend in medical school with a child and their first year she tried to do it without food stamps and she was skipping meals and saving the one apple they had left for her husband's lunch. The next year they decided to get food stamps so she could actually afford fruit and to eat all three meals. Now she definitely needed food stamps for her family, but even she agrees that $400 for a family of 3 is way too much money. So I just have to say if people on food stamps are running out of money it is because they are adding wants to their grocery list. (Now I will add, if you have any income you don't get the full amount of food stamps because it is expected that you supplement your income to make up the shortage. So in that case you would run out of food stamps, but that is because you are supposed to supplement with your own money.)
Thanks for letting me vent.
I know families who are in medical school and have children and qualify for food stamps. One particular family has 4 children- ages 5, 4, 2 and 7 months. They get almost $800/month in food stamps (in the midwest where food prices aren't even as crazy as other places). The baby nurses so they don't have to buy formula, and if they wanted they could qualify for WIC also which would provide formula. Now I have a family of 4- children are ages 5 and 2 and I only spend $200/month. $800 seems so excessive to me. And really it is for them. They have had to get a huge freezer in their garage to store all their extra food. They brag about the 90 boxes of cereal they have in their garage. Their fridge is filled with soda and popsicles and processed foods. And, it gets worse. Since they have so much extra money they don't need, they buy their dad his diet coke and then he pays them cash for it. Yeah, I know, so illegal, but no one is stopping them.
So my number one issue is that people get too much money for food stamps. What is going to encourage them to earn an income and make more money if they are going to lose $800/month for groceries, plus free health care! Now in this case he is going to be a doctor, so he will eventually do well on his salary, but there is going to be a period when this family will be in residency and they will only make $40,000 a year. Their solution: If they have one more child they will still qualify for food stamps and medicaid. They will experience a cut in food stamps because when you make some income they decrease the amount you receive. I am interested to see what they do then. If they can hack $400/month on groceries.
I know not every situation is like this, most aren't, but others that I know that receive it get way more than necessary. The only reason they would need all that money is if they are buying junk at the grocery store or expensive meats.
The other thing that really bothers me is what you can buy on food stamps- candy and soda and ice cream!! Come on. You should not be able to get FAT on food stamps. If you want soda and candy that should be something you earn money for and buy yourself, and not let the taxpayers pay for it. They should give less money in food stamps and spend more time educating people on how to prepare meals. And they should stipulate what people can buy.
Now I know there are cases of those people that are doing everything they can and they really need food stamps and I defintely encourage them to get them, but I guarantee that the amount they get is enough for their food needs. I have another friend in medical school with a child and their first year she tried to do it without food stamps and she was skipping meals and saving the one apple they had left for her husband's lunch. The next year they decided to get food stamps so she could actually afford fruit and to eat all three meals. Now she definitely needed food stamps for her family, but even she agrees that $400 for a family of 3 is way too much money. So I just have to say if people on food stamps are running out of money it is because they are adding wants to their grocery list. (Now I will add, if you have any income you don't get the full amount of food stamps because it is expected that you supplement your income to make up the shortage. So in that case you would run out of food stamps, but that is because you are supposed to supplement with your own money.)
Thanks for letting me vent.
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