Stimulus Boost For Food Stamp Recipients

CBS Evening News: It's Not Much, But When You're Living Week-To-Week, Every Little Bit Helps

(CBS)  The government's stimulus package is giving a much smaller bonus to people on the bottom end of the economic ladder - the more than 32 million Americans who rely on food stamps. That's one out of 10 Americans, an all-time record high.

And as CBS News correspondent Nancy Cordes reports, they're glad to get any kind of help at all.

For Bobbi Foster of Martinsburg, W.V., the once simple task of grocery shopping has suddenly become a burden. In December, her husband Danny lost his trucking job.

"Everyone I know has been laid off work. When I see people going to work I'm surprised -- they have a job!" Foster said.

A month later, Danny was diagnosed with a benign brain tumor. The Fosters signed up for food stamps. As a West Virginia family of four, they would receive $329 a month - not nearly enough to cover their monthly food expenses.

But that may change this month when every American on food stamps (or "nutrition assistance" as it's now known) will find 13 percent more money on their state-issued debit cards.

It's stimulus money. And while it will certainly help the Fosters, its really aimed at thieir grocer, who stands to make an extra $25,000 a week, enabling him to hire up to five more part-time workers.

"Everyone goes to the grocery store," said Martin's Supermarket manager Mike Sword. "I can't think of a better way, frankly, to stimulate the economy."

That's particularly true in West Virginia, where thanks to the slowing economy one in six residents now receives nutrition assistance. It's the highest level in 30 years.

"We're seeing people using the food program for the first time. These are not people that are used to walking through a local office and applying for food assistance," said Kathryn Boylan, of West Virginia's Bureau for Children and Families.

The stimulus plan will also increase unemployment benefits, by about $25 a week, with the assumption that those who have the least will spend whatever they get, pumping that money into the economy.

"[For us,] it means surviving. Really, surviving for the month," Foster said. "When you are living week to week day by day you know it would make things a lot easier."

And in this market, easier is about all anyone can ask for.

[bryce72484]

This is b/s. Im 25 i support my 3yr old and my wife and make 30k yr. Where the ones that need the help not the scumbags of the country that are too lazy to work and live of everyone! No one helps me when i barely make rent or can buy food. The country is for poor people and poor people only. Your screwing the middle class.

[CamsMama]

I proudly recieve food stamps every month and like somone has already stated...you dont know everyones story! I;m a HARD working single mother of one that works my 40 hours a week and yet still only brings home a $450 paycheck from CTR&S!!! so be fore you judge those and have your mouth WIDE open about something you know nothing about...think! And as far as the comment about not being able to get frozen food...do you have time in your day to come to my home and cook dinner fot my family while I work, clean, and take care of an infant?! once again...SMALL minded! I've worked, struggled and fought for EVERYTHING I have! And if I can approve for finacially assistance (food stamps & SSI for my daughter) work 40 hours and still struggle, I'm sure there are otehr families out there that need help as well! I am truely blessed and lucky to get the assistance I do...and I'm far from ashamed. DHHR needs to do drug testing and more background checks for those that abuse the system, but I know I deserve and appreciate EVERYTHING my daughter and I get.

[emaegf]

jezi1023. should not be able to by microwave or premade dinners with food support. we should only be able to buy foods we can prepare oursleves. can you stand more than 2 minutes before your leg goes dead do to the nerve damage from a spinal fracture? do you have arthritis in your hands so bad that you can't even hold a spoon to feed yourself? how can one use a knife to clean and chop food to cook form scratch? how do I lift a pan form the cabinet or counter to the stove to cook something? having an assistant come in to do the prep and cook for me costs money too. if you look at the whole picture it is less expensive to allow frozen and premade heat at home foods than pay for someone to come in and cook for me. you do not know everyone's situation so you should not make a broad judgment. lobster should be a no, energy drinks no, occasional soda ok, ocassional candy ok. like one law maker in Minnesota said 2 years ago "just because they're low income doesn't mean they shouldn't be allowed a treat every once in a while." poor doesn't less than you. if you can have it so can we. in this time you should feel lucky you are working and can pay your way. most of us on assistance want to work but can't we have no choice to rely on assitance or should we all be rounded up and gassed so you don't have to watch us try to be a little bit like normal people. enjoy your lunch of chips, soda, and candy bar. that's what grocery store workers I see working eat for their meals so it must be normal.

[heavynne]

The welfare system is needed for people who are unemployed, not everybody on welfare is a career recipient. I have worked for the last 35 years with 2-3 yr. periods of unemployment, I had to get assistance, but believe me it is not enough money to live on. In California, it won't pay rent (unless you are on housing) and there are more people without housing than with it. Then the utilities have to be paid, your kids need clothes, etc. It is good when you need it, I, on the other hand wanted more out of life. But what's really sad is people get on here and talk about it as if they are putting out thousands of dollars for it, you are not, your 5-10 dollars goes toward it along with billions of other employed people. So stop acting as if you are supporting those less fortunate than you all by yourself. Stop whining over where your tax dollars are going, they are going everywhere, and even if they stopped welfare you would not see the difference.

[snoopy28173]

That might not sound like a large increese; but every little bit helps. I am on SSI and SSDI because I am unable to work due to disability and poor health. So I'm automaticly eligble for food stamps, or nutrutional assistance. As soon as I get to the office, I will start getting them.

I wish people would not refer to that as welfare. Welfare implies that a person is lazy and bumming off the goverment when the are capable of working. If you get SSI or SSDI you can not work or can't work enough to pay daily living expences - especially medical care and prescriptions.

[Hermotimus]

If you want to talk about welfare in general. Here is a few facts you should be aware of. In Ohio, you cannot receive welfare money or medical assistance if you are unmarried and physically able to work. Your food stamps and medical benefits, if you qualify, are predicated on working a certain number of hours a month at jobs assigned to you by the welfare dept helping in the public and chariable sections. If you are pregnant or have a young child, you are limited to three years of Aid to Dependent Children in your entire lifetime. There is no more living on welfare from generation to generation, all that ended in the late 1980's and early 1990's and is never likely to return. One other thing to remember is that even if you do qualify for food stamps, there are many necessities that food stamps does not pay for. You cannot buy bathroom tissue, feminine protection pads or tampons, soap, shampoo, dish soap or laundry detergent, diapers, any items for a baby other than food, or household cleaners, etc. All these necessities you have to have in any household (try getting by without bathroom tissue for even a day) . So some people do sell part of their food stamps in order to buy these things. I do admit that there are some that abuse the system, but if you are convicted of a drug offense in Ohio you are barred from public assistance of any type. If you are caught using food stamps or money gotten through selling food stamps to buy drugs or alcohol, you will be permanently banned from the food stamp program for life. Again, I am asking all of you to look at the facts and then decide for yourself what is and is not hype and hyperbole.

[nolies74621]

ALDI founded in Schonebeck Germany in 1948 by Karl and Theo Albrecht. ALDI a synonim for Albrecht Discount.
Posted by nolies74621 at 2:04 AM : Apr 6, 200

I meant acronym mot synonym.

[Dgunner]

Update ; I went shopping yesterday off the reservation. The local chain here called aldi was out of meat at 2pm. It is a smaller aldi. Walmart 80/20 was 2.22 a lb. 70/30 was 1.89lb. milk is down to 3.10 from 3.45 . Bottom roast 4.6 lber 11.65. Bread is holdind at 1.50 to 279 a pound loaf. Fresh fruit well I didn't look twice when i saw fresk lettuce @ 1.69 a head. I callled twenty miles down the road and prices varied 35 cents to >99 cents on the pound. I hate wal-mart and will not spend money with the chinese and people who beat ansd enslave children . They are different than we are . we don't force them to work at nine years old . When we get tired of our children here in america the trend lately is to shoot them in thier sleep.

[nolies74621]

ALDI founded in Schonebeck Germany in 1948 by Karl and Theo Albrecht. ALDI a synonim for Albrecht Discount.

[nolies74621]

The prices you report are INSANE. I live on the east coast and I can tell you the ground beef is $1.99 on sale. Bottom round roasts? I won't pay over $6 for a large one. I get a large bag of Gala or McIntosh apples for $2.49. A 10lb bag of potatoes? I would walk out if they wanted more than $3.99. I live near a major city too. Your prices sound like Hawaii. I also shop a lot at budget supermarkets. We have one on the east coast called Aldi. I pay $2.05 for a gallon of milk and $1.15 for eggs. You have to work at it. It's very easy and I feed my family good quality meals for very little money.
Posted by CnUHerMeNow at 8:57 PM : Apr 4, 2009

Did you know that ALDI is a German owned food retail chain. ALDI stands for the Albrecht Discount company. ALDI was founded in the town of Schonebeck, Germany a suburb of Essen Germany in 1948 by Karl and Theo Albrecht.

[nolies74621]

The prices you report are INSANE. I live on the east coast and I can tell you the ground beef is $1.99 on sale. Bottom round roasts? I won't pay over $6 for a large one. I get a large bag of Gala or McIntosh apples for $2.49. A 10lb bag of potatoes? I would walk out if they wanted more than $3.99. I live near a major city too. Your prices sound like Hawaii. I also shop a lot at budget supermarkets. We have one on the east coast called Aldi. I pay $2.05 for a gallon of milk and $1.15 for eggs. You have to work at it. It's very easy and I feed my family good quality meals for very little money.
Posted by CnUHerMeNow at 8:57 PM : Apr 4, 2009

Did you know that ALDI is a German owned food retial chain. All the money you spend there comes to Germany.

[nolies74621]

extra food stamps for your vote in 2013 Please.

[jezi1023]

The food stamp program is very poorly regulated. I work at a grocery store and it is outragous the stuff that they can buy. Soda, energy drinks, special order cakes from the bakery, candy, lobster, steaks, things that people who work but make too much to get foodstamps cant even afford. If the goverment is going to give these people more money, they need to revise what they can buy. They should have to buy things that THEY have to prepare, not microwave dinners and pre-made meals. I also agree with the drug testing suggestion. If people are getting free stuff from the goverment cuz they dont have money sure as hell shouldnt have money for drugs. Alot of things need to be done because too many people are taking advatage of the system.

[diamruby]

Please give us a list of churches that are giving free: three meals per day, daycare, medical assistance, auto repairs, money for rent & utilities, after school programs for all children, employment assistance. With all the billions of tax free dollars these churches get there is no reason they are not out in full force helping those in need. Welfare is for those in need in the short term, we need to stop people that are on welfare for life because they are to lazy to work. All people getting welfare should be given a monthy randon drug test, birth control shot, food rations that are gotten at a warehouse, randon house checks to ensure their homes are clean, drug free, children are being well taken care of etc. When you are asking the working class people to support you then you will need to meet certain standards of living & be responsible for improving your life. Welfare was not meant to be a full time job, it was meant to assist people who need help when they lose their jobs etc., until they get on their feet. We need more welfare work farms where people raise food & learn trades so they are helping themselves.

[Dgunner]

I just left the local wal-art and saw three people offering to trade food stamps for money at .50 on the dollar. In broad daylight and openly asking anyone who walked by them.They had three kids in thier old beater car and were not wearing coats of anykind. Like I have said before . If obamms doesn't do something to stop this at the ground level it will only get worse and the local currency here will change to hamburger meat and tobbaco.When i mentioned this to a wal-mart manager . his reply was == hopefully they will spend them here.Theres not a thing I do about it. Youcould call a cop but I really doubt you would get one here for thirty or forty minutes because they aren't robbing anyone so it is not in thier jurisdiction and care less about it than I do.

[Hermotimus]

Several people missed the point I was making here. Most food stamp recipients don't live in suburban areas where there are competing grocery stores that drive the prices down. Most live in areas where there is a single grocery store and that grocery store charges whatever prices it can get away with because it has no competition. Many live in apartments where there is no place to have any garden at all except maybe plants in the window if you don't live on the North side of the building. Food stamps does pay for canning supplies, such as canning jars and lids, but in order to can you must first have something to can. Sit down and figure out the cost of your typical breakfast this morning and make sure you add all the liitle things that go with it, like margerine and jam for the toast, oil to cook the eggs in, milk for the cereal, coffee for the adults, the cost of a serving of fruit or fruit juice for the kids, etc? and you will quickly find that feeding two adults and two kids on 4 dollars, even for breakfast, which is usually the cheapest meal of the day, you will spend more than a dollar per person. Most people on food stamps do not receive enough food stamps to pay for a healthy diet even if they cook everything themselves and do all their shopping at the cheapest stores they can find. It was better years ago when the government also handed out commodies every month such as cheese, peanut butter, butter, honey, etc, that the agriculture department bought as food subsidies for the farm industry. But all those commodies now are shipped overseas to Africa and distributed by USAID. More than 1/3 of all food stamp recipients are forced to seek help from food banks at the end of each month for additional foodstuffs, but with cutbacks by manufacturers and private donations, the food banks no longer have enough food to help tide the people over from month to month for what food stamps cannot cover. It is any wonder that there are a great many hungry children in this country and the number grows each year. For those of you who claim to be die hard republicians and Christians and blame Obama for all your troubles, I suggest you remember that charity begins at home and that you should be donating food and basic supplies to food banks in your local areas, almost all of which are run by charitable church affliated organizations. Given the amount of money that American Christians send overseas every year for missionary work and feeding hungry children in other countries, I think they could come up with a bit of money for some missionary work in this country to help eliminate the need for any child to go hungry!

[Dgunner]

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU SAY ABOUT HANDOUTS AND DEADBEAT PARENTS APPARENTLY THERE MUST BE ONE WATCHING EVRYTIME I USE THE WORDS DEADBEAT PARENT OR COUCH COW I HAVE TO REREGISTER AND PROBABLY WILL AGAIN AFTER THIS . i GOT 487 GIGS LEFT.

[aka_KJB]

You know, everyone, on of the biggest problems is making this a Republicans vs. Democrats issue. It isn't. It's a heartless, callous, evil weasels with no brains or souls vs. people who care about their fellow man issue. The purpose of assistance is NOT to completely pay someone's way, it is to "assist" them in paying the costs of everyday life until they no longer need it. Depending on the family of 4 and where they are, over $300 may well be enough for food in a month. In some areas, not even close. The cost of living isn't a one size fits all deal, people. Here's a quick reality check for those of you who think you can solve the problems of the world by never leaving your little 12 block radius: things cost more or less depending on where you are. Taxes, the cost of transportation from the distributor to the store, labor costs and other factors all contribute to this. If you're going to take it upon yourself to get on a soapbox and fix the system, try a basic study of how the system works before you shoot your mouth off and only succeed in proving just how ignorant you really are.

[CnUHerMeNow]

Replying to what was Posted by debinok1 at 3:51 PM:

The prices you report are INSANE. I live on the east coast and I can tell you the ground beef is $1.99 on sale. Bottom round roasts? I won't pay over $6 for a large one. I get a large bag of Gala or McIntosh apples for $2.49. A 10lb bag of potatoes? I would walk out if they wanted more than $3.99. I live near a major city too. Your prices sound like Hawaii. I also shop a lot at budget supermarkets. We have one on the east coast called Aldi. I pay $2.05 for a gallon of milk and $1.15 for eggs. You have to work at it. It's very easy and I feed my family good quality meals for very little money.

[Rebel_Rebel]

You and you alone decide how to lead your life!!
Posted by onceisenough11 at 6:27 PM

And if you don't get it right and things go crazy, just take heart knowing you will never take handouts (which all of us working for many years have contributed to and are entitled to should it become necessary) you can just let your kids and family go hungry. After all, arrogance, stubborness and intolerance are always a good meal at the table. I hope you have the opportunity to enjoy them.