This post addresses what can and can not be bought with food stamps (SNAP) and first appeared on the Poor as Folk blog, which is a site that is no longer online. We are reprinting it with their permission.
I have a huge gripe with the way some states or counties in parts of the U.S. work with their clients. The most frequent search terms on my other blog where I started blogging about SNAP is questions about what people can buy with their food stamps.
This should be a caseworker’s job, not a blogger on the Internet. I am very happy to provide the information but from what I understand, there are food stamp recipients who never even see a caseworker or the only info they’re given about purchasing things is, You can’t buy cigarettes and alcohol. Well, no duh.
Based on my most frequent search queries, here is a list of things people wondered about that you CAN buy with food stamps:
- baking soda
- vinegar, all kinds
- coconut oil
- any cooking oil, including olive oil
- seeds EXCEPT for sunflower seeds, unless they are packaged and ready to eat.
- plants that produce food and potted herbs
Here are specific items you CAN NOT buy:
- toilet paper
- shampoo
- tampons or pads
- deodorant
- toothpaste
- diapers, cloth or disposable
- bakery goods
- cooking utensils or small kitchen appliances
- pots and pans
- dishes
Yes, it’s totally true that you CAN buy bows and arrows in Alaska but not live animals. Like lobster. You can’t buy a live lobster to cook or chickens if you were to want to raise them yourself.
Since we’re talking about what can and can’t be bought using an EBT card, I want to clear up some things for those who are misinformed.
Nobody is given paper food stamps anymore. Everyone who receives food stamp benefits gets a card. An EBT card. Electronic Benefits Transfer card. It works like a debit card.
EBT cards are also given to people who receive cash welfare benefits. Some people who get food stamps also receive cash benefits but just to clear up a misconception... it’s very hard to get cash assistance. Because of the Work to Welfare program and other reformation of the system, once someone is approved for cash assistance, they must either enroll in school or job training or prove that they are job searching unless they are disabled. Most states have a limited time or a cash cap limit that you can receive while looking for a job.
They will also place people in jobs, basically at a just above minimum wage rate for as many hours as compared to the amount of cash assistance they get. If they don’t go to work or school, they lose their assistance. Once they’re earning money, they also lose the cash assistance. It’s a temporary assistance program, which is why it’s called Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). It’s that simple.
In some states, the EBT card cannot be used at a register in a store for non-food stamp items. The recipient has to go to an ATM or a store office and withdrawl cash. In some states, it can be used right at the register, which I’m guessing is causing confusion to nosy people who stand in line behind other people in line, checking out what kind of card it being used to pay for groceries.
Also, it’s important to put out there: Some states put a single mother’s child support money into the account attached to their EBT card if she’s also eligible for food stamps. So, the state isn’t being the baby-daddy there. The actual contributor of DNA paid his child support and that’s how the state is giving her that money.
All those stupid memes online about beer, tattoos, cigarettes being bought with EBT?
I’m not going to say that no one buys those things with their cash benefits but if you pay attention to how those ridiculous things are worded, they are completely fabricated.
“Today I saw a woman in line paying w/ food stamps blahblahblah IPHONEblahblahblahLEXUSblahblahPOTATOCHIPSANDSODA!”
No, you didn’t. You want people to get riled up and start a shit storm on your page or Tumblr.
Or I’m the only person in the store minding my own business and thinking about the stuff in my own cart. If someone has time to cart judge, they need a constructive hobby. Go volunteer and the local food bank or something.
