FoodsStamps

KeniaBush

SW2650SocialWelfarePolicy

August02,2017
 ThesocialwelfareprogramthatIam

goingtodiscussisfoodstamps.Thefederalgovernmentprovidesfoodtolowincome

Americansthroughthisprogram.Theprogramstartedin1939,aspartoftheNew

DealwhensomanypeopleintheUnitedStateswereunemployed.AfterWorld

WarII,theprogramwassuspended,butPresidentKennedybroughtitback.The

federalgovernmentprovidesmoney,butdoesnotadministertheprogram.The

statesadministertheprogram.(Marx,J.page173)(www.snaphealth.com)

Theprimarybenefitofthisprogramisthatithelpstofeedpeoplethatarein

need.OneouteveryfourchildrenintheUnitedStatesreceivesfoodstamps.

(www.budget.com)Withoutfoodstampsmanymillionsofchildrenwouldgohungry.

Thisprogramalsohelpstheelderlyanddisabled.(www.snaphealth.com)Itisa

comforttomethatthisprogramisavailabletopeoplewhentheydonthaveenough

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toeat.Iamverysupportiveofthisprogram.Peoplethatgohungryhaveatough

timeworkingtosupportthemselves,takingcareofthemselvesandtakingcareof

theirlovedones.Itjustmakessensetomakesurethatpeoplethatareinneedget

someassistancewithfoodespeciallyinarichcountryliketheUnitedStates.

Anotherprooffoodstampsisthattherulespreventpeoplewhoareworking

agefrom18to50yearsoldfromreceivingfoodstampsformorethanthreemonths

unlesstheyareengagedinaworkfareprogramfortwentyormorehoursperweek.

ThisprogramisimportantbecauseIbelievenoonewantstocollectmoneyandsit

athome.Itisimportantforselfconfidencetobeoutintheworldcontributingto

society.(Marx,Jerry,page174)

Oneoftheconsoffoodstampsisthattherearesomepeoplewhoabusethe

system.Itseemsliketherearealotofstoriesonthenewsaboutwelfarefraud.

OneofthemostrecentinstanceswasWarrenJeffsandhisFLDSmembers

misusingfoodstamps.Themembersofthechurchappliedforfoodstamps,

purchasedfoodusingtheEBTcardandsomeofthefoodwenttoawarehousewhere

itwasgiventopeoplewhodidnotqualifyfortheprogram.TheFLDSchurchtolda

FederalJudgethattheyhadareligiousrighttomisuseafederalprogram.

(ebescohost.com)Thisisthesortofthingthatgivesagoodprogramabadname

givespeopleareasontomakecutstotheprogram.Inmyownexperience,Imet

someonewhotriedtosellmetheirEBTcard(whichIdidnotbuy).However,since

theprogramstartedusingEBTcardstherehasbeenlessfraudbecauseitiseasier

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totracepeoplewhomisusethesystemwhentheyusetheEBTcard.Itisestimated

thattherateoffraudhasdroppedtoaround1%.(www.snaphealth.com)

TheDepartmentofAgriculturedecideswhichstorestheywillallowtoaccept

foodstamps.WhenIlookedatthelistIsawmostofthestoresinmyneighborhood

includingCostco,Walmart,SmithsandDans.However,IdidntseeHarmonson

thelistandIdidntsee711oranyotherconveniencestores.Itmightbedifficult

forsomeonewhodoesntlivenearoneofthestoresthatacceptfoodsstampstowalk

overtoastorethatdoesacceptfoodstampsandcartfoodbackbyhand.Also,if

someoneissickitmightbealltheycandotowalkdowntheblocktoaconvenience

storeforfoodbuttheywontbeabletousetheirEBTcardataconveniencestore.

(www.foodstampsnow.com/01/14)

MypositionaboutFoodstampsisthatweneedtohelppeoplewhoare

hungry.Iknowalotofpeoplethinkthatthepeoplewhousefoodstampsarelazy,

butIdisagree.Iknowalotofsinglemotherswhoearnminimumwageandthey

wouldhaveahardtimefeedingtheirchildrenwithouthelp.Therearealsopeople

thatlosetheirjobsthroughnofaultoftheirownortheyaresickandnotableto

work.Thesepeoplearentlazy.Theyhavehadsometroublesormaybesomebad

luck.Thefoodstampprogramalsohelpstopreventthecoststosocietyfrom

malnutrition.Peoplewhoaremalnourishedcantworkandneedmedicalcare

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whichtheywouldnotbeabletopayfor,sotheywouldhavetogotoemergency

roomstoseeiftheycouldgethelpiftheywerestrongenoughtogetthere.

In2015,thefederalgovernmentallocated$75billionforfoodstamp

programstoassist45millionlowincomeAmericans.Thecosttoimplementthe

programwas7%of$75billionor$5.25billondollars.(www.cbpp.org,04/17)seven

percenttoimplementtheprogramseemsreasonable.Ihavereadinthenewspaper

aboutpeoplethatwanttopreventpeoplewithfoodstampsfrombuyingsodaor

othersugaryproducts.(AnahadOConnorweb.01/17)Ithinkthisisagreatideain

principle,butIwonderhowmuchmoreitwouldcosttoimplementtheprogram

withthesekindsoflimitations.Itwouldnotservethepublicwellifalargerportion

ofthemoneythatshouldbegoingtobuyfoodwasspentonadministrationofthe

program.

Theupshotofallthisisthat,thefoodstampprogram,whichisnowcalled

SNAPbeganduringTheGreatDepression,disappearedforawhileandwas

broughtbackinthe1960s.Thegoodpointsaboutfoodstampsarethatthey

providefoodtolowornoincomeAmericansinneedandhasrestrictionsthat

requireworkingageadultstohaveajoborbeinaworkprogramtocontinueto

receivebenefits.Thedownsidetofoodstampsisthatsomepeoplewhoarenot

entitledtothebenefitsaregettingthembylyingabouttheirsituationandanother

downsideisthatnoteveryplacethatsellsfoodacceptsfoodstampswhichmight

makeitdifficultforpeoplewhohavetransportationproblemstogetfoodwhenthey

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needit.Overall,thisisanimportantprogrambecauseithelpstoprevent

malnutritionintheUnitedStates.

Bibliography

"FederalJudgeSkepticalofFoodStampClaims."Church&State,vol.70,no.1,

Jan.2017,p.15.EBSCOhost,libprox1.slcc.edu/login?

url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=rlh&AN=1205416

22&site=edslive.

FoodStampcomic.Wordpress.com,InternationalLiberty,1Jan.2015,

en.wordpress.com/signup/?ref=bigassbluetop.

"ListofGroceryStoresThatAcceptFoodStamps."FoodStampsandSNAP

Benefits.N.p.,06Oct.2016.Web.02Aug.2017.

Marx,JerryD.SocialWelfare:theAmericanPartnership.Pearson,2004.

O'Connor,Anahad."IntheShoppingCartofaFoodStampHousehold:Lotsof

Soda."TheNewYorkTimes.TheNewYorkTimes,13Jan.2017.Web.02

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 Aug.2017.

SNAPHelpsMillionsofChildren.CenteronBudgetandPolicyPriorities,26Apr.

2017,www.cbpp.org/research/foodassistance/snaphelpsmillionsofchildren.

SnapHealthTheDirectPayHealthcarePlatform.SnapHealthTheDirectPay

HealthcarePlatform,www.snaphealth.com/.