If you quilify for welfare do you get actual money?

[chobie]

I don't keep score or judge what people are buying but I do take notice of what is on the conveyor belt in front of me. The magazines don't offer enough distraction for me and only one grocery store near me has TVs in the checkout line.

Sometimes I see someone buying a large quantity of an item and wonder if there was a sale that I missed. Or I'll see an interesting item in their grocery order and make a note to look up how it is prepared when I get home.

When you're in public, everything you do is observable by others. I think that it's naive to believe that people won't notice what you're purchasing. I only consider it to be an act of rudeness if you actually make comments to the person about their grocery order. For goodness sake! What difference does it make what people think as long as they have the good sense to filter their thoughts before they reach their mouths!

It's one thing to glance at another's groceries when they are in eye view. It's quit another to take stock of all their purchases AND look to see what type of payment they are using.

I'm not naive, I know there are nosy people out there, the Dis has sure taught me that, but I also believe people should try to mind their own business as much as possible.

Just because someone doesn't know you are being rude and prying into their business, doesn't make it not rude, IMO.

 

[Granny square]

It's one thing to glance at another's groceries when they are in eye view. It's quit another to take stock of all their purchases AND look to see what type of payment they are using. I'm not naive, I know there are nosy people out there, the Dis has sure taught me that, but I also believe people should try to mind their own business as much as possible.

I agree. It is like staying a few steps back while people get money at the ATM. What they do is their business.

Really I just don't want to know what others are doing. I make a living delving into the private lives of others. I don't need to in my private time too!

 

[kellyg403]

There is definitely abuse and fraud in the system. But its a gov't run program so lets face it, happens in just about every aspect/service the gov't runs.

As for judging what people have in their carts or what they are feeding their children..I won't. I don't live with them. As far as I know the kids are eating dinner every night at grandma's to help out, so mom only has to buy the extras.

Instead of being mad about something when we don't know the whole story, probably we should look at things a little differently. But politics are off limits on the board and, unfortunately, this really is one of those topics.

OP, as to your original questions about wanting to give a gift for Christmas. I feel Christmas or any gift is a personal thing. We give gifts to make someone happy. So, the gift you are hoping to purchase should be something that will make them happy..regardless of their life circumstances.

K

 

[Colleen27]

I agree. It is like staying a few steps back while people get money at the ATM. What they do is their business.

That's how I see it too. If I'm close enough to see the design of someone's debit card I'm also close enough to see them enter their PIN if they use it for cash back or are using EBT. IMO, it is rude to be that close to the person in front of you. And honestly, if you're at the grocery store aren't you behind your own cart and busy unloading it onto the belt when the person in front of you is checking out? I've never needed magazines or TVs in the lane to distract me from noticing the payment methods of other customers - I'm busy with my own order.

 

[Granny square]

That's how I see it too. If I'm close enough to see the design of someone's debit card I'm also close enough to see them enter their PIN if they use it for cash back or are using EBT. IMO, it is rude to be that close to the person in front of you. And honestly, if you're at the grocery store aren't you behind your own cart and busy unloading it onto the belt when the person in front of you is checking out? I've never needed magazines or TVs in the lane to distract me from noticing the payment methods of other customers - I'm busy with my own order.

So true.

Lol, or I'm talking to old men. I seem to attract them... I swear yesterday in the grocery I was approached by 4.

 

[Marionnette]

That's how I see it too. If I'm close enough to see the design of someone's debit card I'm also close enough to see them enter their PIN if they use it for cash back or are using EBT. IMO, it is rude to be that close to the person in front of you. And honestly, if you're at the grocery store aren't you behind your own cart and busy unloading it onto the belt when the person in front of you is checking out? I've never needed magazines or TVs in the lane to distract me from noticing the payment methods of other customers - I'm busy with my own order.

The PA EBT card (called an ACCESS card) is a very distinctive color. You wouldn't have to be close enough to see someone enter their PIN to know that they are using one.

And I actually stand in front of my cart to unload my groceries onto the belt, so I would be standing closer to the customer in front of me than if I were behind it. How do you manage to reach down inside the cart from behind? I'm not short and I would have a difficult time retrieving anything from the front of the cart is I were standing in back of it.

But again, I really don't care what the person in front of me is buying or how they pay for it. And people who don't want others to notice what they are buying should shop online.

 

[eliza61]

I don't keep score or judge what people are buying but I do take notice of what is on the conveyor belt in front of me. The magazines don't offer enough distraction for me and only one grocery store near me has TVs in the checkout line.

Sometimes I see someone buying a large quantity of an item and wonder if there was a sale that I missed. Or I'll see an interesting item in their grocery order and make a note to look up how it is prepared when I get home.

When you're in public, everything you do is observable by others. I think that it's naive to believe that people won't notice what you're purchasing. I only consider it to be an act of rudeness if you actually make comments to the person about their grocery order. For goodness sake! What difference does it make what people think as long as they have the good sense to filter their thoughts before they reach their mouths!

I guess I simply get annoyed with the comments on how someone using snap shops and then the correlation that they fraudulent.
There is a big difference in noticing some candy on a conveyor belt and wondering if it's on sale to then checking out how some one pays for some thing then making the big jump to whether it not they are worthy of buying it
How do people make the leap from buying a bag of Snickers to not feeding your kids?

Sorry but if you are do close to me that you can check out my card and what type it is, you are NOT being "observant".
You are being a but rude and nosy.
Most of the time people do it unconsciously

Would you get that close to someone at a atm machine?

Even if I am in front on the cart. I stand back until the person in front finishes their transaction. I have asked people behind me to step back. Usually a friendly "excuse me" and then turning my back to them is enough for them to take the hint.

 

[Marionnette]

I guess I simply get annoyed with the comments on how someone using snap shops and then the correlation that they fraudulent.
There is a big difference in noticing some candy on a conveyor belt and wondering if it's on sale to then checking out how some one pays for some thing then making the big jump to whether it not they are worthy of buying it.

Sorry but if you are do close to me that you can check out my card and what type it is, you are NOT being "observant".
You are being a but rude and nosy.
Most of the time people do it unconsciously

Would you get that close to someone at a atm machine?

Even if I am in front on the cart. I stand back until the person in front finishes their transaction. I have asked people behind me to step back. Usually a friendly "excuse me" and then turning my back to them is enough for them to take the hint.

I don't hover that closely to the person in front of me. IF I happen to notice that they are using an EBT card, it's because the older PA cards are bright yellow and the newer ones are green with big, bright yellow letters across the front. It's that flash of yellow that draws the eye. That's why all cautionary road signs are in yellow.

Usually, by the time that I reach the point where my own groceries are unloaded and the person in front of me is paying, I'm fumbling with my coupons and searching for my store loyalty card. But I'm not above confessing to noticing when an EBT card is being used every once in a while. And that's why I won't condemn anyone else for noticing, either.

ETA: I also do a lot of grocery shopping in DE and in all honesty, I have no idea what their EBT cards look like. I've probably been behind plenty of people on assistance in DE and I never would know it. I have no idea why PA has to make their ACCESS cards stick out the way that they do.

 

[eliza61]

What kills me is that there is no way some one on public assistance can ever win on these boards.

If they are buying candy, they are irresponsible and fraud.
If you notice they are buying a steak, then it's "how dare they eat a steak while I can only eat hamburgers, don't they know about beans?
And godforbid they dare to have nice looking nails. !!!

 

[eliza61]

I don't hover that closely to the person in front of me. IF I happen to notice that they are using an EBT card, it's because the older PA cards are bright yellow and the newer ones are green with big, bright yellow letters across the front. It's that flash of yellow that draws the eye. That's why all cautionary road signs are in yellow.

Usually, by the time that I reach the point where my own groceries are unloaded and the person in front of me is paying, I'm fumbling with my coupons and searching for my store loyalty card. But I'm not above confessing to noticing when an EBT card is being used every once in a while. And that's why I won't condemn anyone else for noticing, either.

And that's fine but like I said it's one thing to notice but how many post do we get where some says some thing to the effect. "they are on food stamps yet they can get their nails done"? Seriously? Each and every time this topic comes up we can count on that statement being uttered. or the other famous one is about how they brought groceries with an ebt card and then went out to get into a Cadillac escalade.
My dh had a friend who was a cadillac car salesmen, he only wishes every time some one utter that statement it was true. He'd be the owner of the dealership.


That's is going way beyond noticing.

 

[Colleen27]

I don't hover that closely to the person in front of me. IF I happen to notice that they are using an EBT card, it's because the older PA cards are bright yellow and the newer ones are green with big, bright yellow letters across the front. It's that flash of yellow that draws the eye. That's why all cautionary road signs are in yellow.

Usually, by the time that I reach the point where my own groceries are unloaded and the person in front of me is paying, I'm fumbling with my coupons and searching for my store loyalty card. But I'm not above confessing to noticing when an EBT card is being used every once in a while. And that's why I won't condemn anyone else for noticing, either.

ETA: I also do a lot of grocery shopping in DE and in all honesty, I have no idea what their EBT cards look like. I've probably been behind plenty of people on assistance in DE and I never would know it. I have no idea why PA has to make their ACCESS cards stick out the way that they do.

I googled the PA EBT card and I'm willing to eat my words on this one - that card design certainly would stand out! The card here in Michigan is a little different from a normal credit card but not so much so that it would stand out from even a few feet away - it has an image of the Mackinac Bridge and a sunset-colored background - and the other states' cards I've seen have been even less distinctive than that.

Here's an image of a bunch of states' designs, including Michigan's (top left). This is what I've been picturing when I wonder how fellow shoppers would notice - at first glance they look pretty much like any other credit/debit card.

 

[angierae]

I was at the store today. When the lady in front if me was paying, I was done unloading my cart, but it wasn't such a long period that I needed to "find something to do". I just waited. I saw she paid with a card, but from only a few feet away I couldn't even tell you what color it was.

I was also buying apple cider, shredded cheese (on sale) and tortillas, so some busy body probably thinks that's all my family will eat for dinner tonight.

 

[Granny square]

I was at the store today. When the lady in front if me was paying, I was done unloading my cart, but it wasn't such a long period that I needed to "find something to do". I just waited. I saw she paid with a card, but from only a few feet away I couldn't even tell you what color it was. I was also buying apple cider, shredded cheese (on sale) and tortillas, so some busy body probably thinks that's all my family will eat for dinner tonight.

Lol, when I buy junk I go to Aldis. Maybe once a month. I always figure people must think my kids eat it all the time and are overweight. Which they aren't.

 

[meajuly5]

It's tricky. I donate food to a food bank fairly regularly. I buy items that are on sale when I see them (such as pasta, soup, tuna, vegetables). When I donate them, I usually throw in something As a great-- cake mix, brownie mix etc ... Mostly bc if I were on a limits income, that isn't how I would designate limited food dollars but I would like to be able to treat my kids or make a birthday cake without wondering where the nutrition would suffer. If you happen to see what someone is buying, you are looking at a snapshot. It might not be what they typically purchase. I am sure its not the case all the time, but at least it's an effort to make sure people have what they need. As for pod banks dictating what people donate, I hope their shelves are full before thy do that. It's hard to donate food that you might not even be able to afford for yourself. We collect a lot of food at our school to donate-- stock shelves for a foodbank for a few months which is a lot of food. Each year it gets harder to collect. I think people who are willing to donate, donate what they can In most circumstances. I do even donate an odd pantry item or two-- someone else may well use and enjoy something that I couldn't or wouldn't use

 

[angwill]

I think the answer differs from state to state. I volunteer at a local food bank that also helps with rent and utilities. I see and interview clients and they have to disclose all assistance received. I have never seen money disclosed in Florida. HUD, Medicaid and Food Stamps-yes. Now, many clients are on Social Security disability,unemployment or VA benefits but I don't classify that as the "welfare" that you are asking about. Your friends daughter is likely being given money from family or working under the table.

It is the same here and there is as max amount also. So if someone is disabled and gets disability, food stamps, and medicaid. Then they qualify for HUD their food stamps will get cut by the amount needed to push them down to the max amount paid in welfare.

I agree that either the daughter is friends with someone at the salon, barters services like babysitting for those salon days, family or baby daddy is giving her cash, or she is earning cash under the table. Just based on welfare in our state there would not be extras for salon days otherwise.

If your thinking of helping at Christmas why not buy the kids necessities like clothing or shoes. If it is cold where you are a nice hat, scarf, and gloves for the mother. Then you can feel like you helped with things that are needs and not wants.

 

[cjbcam]

People that say its nobodies business how much people get on welfare are wrong. It's the people working and paying taxes that pay for it so they should have a right to know.
I agree with the people that say its not meant to live off forever.

 

[Granny square]

People that say its nobodies business how much people get on welfare are wrong. It's the people working and paying taxes that pay for it so they should have a right to know. I agree with the people that say its not meant to live off forever.

Well as long as you don't care how much student aid you get, or what child tax credits, or your FHA loan amounts.

Or any other subsidies you or your business get.

 

[Gracie09]

Well as long as you don't care how much student aid you get, or what child tax credits, or your FHA loan amounts. Or any other subsidies you or your business get.

Or how much money a student who has a pell grant spends on beer...

 

[Granny square]

Or how much money a student who has a pell grant spends on beer...

Precisely!


Lol, I am always amazed at how many people receive subsidies but look down their noses at welfare recipients.

 

[angierae]

People that say its nobodies business how much people get on welfare are wrong. It's the people working and paying taxes that pay for it so they should have a right to know.
I agree with the people that say its not meant to live off forever.

There are federal and state time limits. Yes, there are exceptions and loopholes, but it's nothing like when my sister raised her kids for 20+ years and never worked and collected welfare and food stamps and rent assistance while her husband worked under the table. Lots and lots of those loopholes have been closed.