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Monday, January 2, 2012

Ten Items You Cannot Buy With Food Stamps

The Food Stamp Program, or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) as it has been renamed, is a federal food assistance program. 

Each state administers the program to its recipients within its jurisdiction, but there is a universal list of items recipients cannot buy with food stamps.

If you are new to the program, and you would like to know which items you cannot buy with food stamps, you can refer to the following list:

  1. Alcohol
  2. Tobacco
  3. Dog Food
  4. Cat Food
  5. Toiletries
  6. Household Supplies
  7. Vitamins
  8. Medicine
  9. Pumpkins (edible, not holiday items)
  10. *Hot Foods (that are meant to be consumed in-store)

Most of the above list contains items that you definitely cannot buy with food stamps under any circumstances.  However, some states have passed laws that allow people to use food stamps at fast food restaurants.

Generally, the fast food restaurant allowance rule comes with some sort of specification.  For example, you can use Arizona food stamps at certain fast food restaurants only if you make an application to do so, and you must be homeless in order to be eligible for the restaurant meals program.

Although many people are becoming vocal about the need for the government to restrict food stamp recipients from purchasing junk food (chips, cookies, sodas, energy drinks, etc.) and so-called, luxury foods (shrimp, steak, lobster, etc.), there are currently no restrictions in place.

4 comments:

  1. Come on now...Shrimp, steak, lobster??? what the heck? There is nothing wrong with those foods? They are healthy and packed with protein(what mother nature intended). But yes, I do understand the junk food thing..

    ReplyDelete
  2. It funny because lobster used to be fed to prisoners. There were riots and hunger strikes because of it. Lobster was considered poor people food, desperate food and lower class food. Now it's a luxury. Who are the people becoming more vocal about the need for the government to restrict food stamp recipients from purchasing junk food? The poor? Or the rich? Are the rich not the biggest abusers of welfare and food stamps? http://www.upworthy.com/if-you-think-only-poor-people-need-welfare-wait-till-you-see-what-really-rich-folks-do-with-it http://www.history.com/news/a-taste-of-lobster-history

    ReplyDelete
  3. Obviously, the law makers have never been poor. Most of the people who receive food stamps are the working poor, trying to survive on minimum wage. The fat-cat politicians, who accept millions of dollars in campaign funds, supporting the financial interests of their donors reeks of corruption. They are the silver spoon fed idiots, who have little regard for the poor. Politicians generally support and fund their own power ambitions. Their motivation is greed, and they lack the capacity to be humane. Why don't they live on pinto beans and potatoes for a year to see how the poor really eat. Maybe that would give them compassion.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Why would you not be able to buy food for your animals?? Makes no sense to me

    ReplyDelete

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