Food stamps questions (NY)

amother

Wed, Aug 29 2012, 4:30 pm

I just got my letter saying I was accepted for the food stamp program. I read through 15 pages of blah blah about it but it still wasn't clear or helpful!

Can I assume that the money rolls over from month to month? Because it says I am now getting the past month's worth of money but next month starts in a few days, will I still be able to use last month's?

There seems to be some kind of limitation on what you're allowed to buy with it, it said somewhere in all that literature something about acceptable food items - but no clue what is acceptable or how to find out. Help?

Also, does anyone know which of the frum supermarkets in Brooklyn accept food stamps?

And what else should I know about the program? I'm so clueless and the packet provided so little info!

friendsrus

Wed, Aug 29 2012, 4:54 pm

food stamps does not roll over to next month, meaning you'll lose this month's money. what I do somethimes, is either put it on an account if you have one at a specific grocery/fruit/butcher. or give to someone who can pay their bill with it, and they'll give you the $. just about all supermarkets in brooklyn take food stamps. food stamps pays for just about all food items, but not non-food items like papergoods...

amother

Wed, Aug 29 2012, 4:56 pm

zg wrote:

Um I believe this is not allowed

amother

Wed, Aug 29 2012, 5:01 pm

I also live in NY and my food stamp money does roll over from to month. the money never expires.

you can use the money for all your groceries but not prepared takeout foods.

try finding I supermarket in Brooklyn that doesnt use foodstamps, BH. Ive used it at Appetizing Plus, KRM, Moishes, Pomegranate, Glattmart, Super 13, Goldbergs, Mega 53... to name a few

EmesOrNT

Wed, Aug 29 2012, 5:02 pm

amother wrote:

zg wrote:

Um I believe this is not allowed

Yes I believe we call that fraud.

amother

Wed, Aug 29 2012, 5:16 pm

So I can go into Glattmart and use food stamps to buy kosher meat that I've never been able to afford before? Cool!

What's considered prepared foods? Does frozen pizza count?

If I have something in my cart that doesn't qualify, how does that work, does the register automatically only put the food things on the food stamps and then leave the balance for me?

I'm a little worried about the mixed opinions regarding rolling over... After all I've been digging deeper and deeper into money I can't spare buying food these last couple of months until the FS got sorted out and now I might have just a week to use a month and a half's worth of FS?

I also wonder how they decide how much to give you. The prediction calculators online said I could be eligible for up to about twice as much as they ended up giving me. If there's anything to talk about, life would certainly be more fun if I could get more, but on the other hand I'm inclined to just let it go and not squeeze government funds more than I have to because anyway the amount they're giving me is already slightly higher than what I'd been spending myself - but that was with a lot of comparison shopping, cooking from scratch, doing without (I miss meat!) coupon clipping etc. And I'm due to give birth soon so I'd love to just go for all those old habits of shopping at the most convenient place and buying convenience foods. I think the amount they're giving us would enable a little bit of that but not much, like I said it's just a drop more than I spend already.

friendsrus

Wed, Aug 29 2012, 5:46 pm

EmesOrNT wrote:

amother wrote:

zg wrote:

Um I believe this is not allowed

Yes I believe we call that fraud.

don't worry I personally never did it since I'm completely maxed out at the end of the month. my food stamps does not cover my bills completely. just a thought I was told when I started out on food stamps, and you're right, it's not allowed.

amother

Wed, Aug 29 2012, 5:51 pm

I am the amother that answered you before.

yes, you can buy raw chicken and meat at Glattmart

frozen pizza is not prepared foods. prepared foods is something you would buy from a take out store or restaurant.

if something doesnt qualify for FS its not a problem. Ring up everything together, swipe your FS card, whatever works will come off on that card, and for the balance you can pay cash or use a regular CC

As I wrote before, I never had a problem with the money rolling over. But if you are really worried stock up now for Yom tov. leave an extra few $ on the card and see if its still there next month

amother

Wed, Aug 29 2012, 5:55 pm

OP here, thanking everyone who answered (so far.) WHY WHY WHY is it so hard to find this very basic information online or directly in the welcome letter?! No matter what words I google together with food stamps all I get is info about applying and qualifying, nothing about how it works after the fact.

Another big question: On the application, I put me, DH, and DD on the case. However now that we've been approved the approval letter came to me and only my benefit card seems to work for food stamps (DH tried his and it didn't. We all have benefit cards because we were on medicaid before) Any idea why that is, is it supposed to work on all our cards because we're all on the case, is there any way to get it to work for all of us?

amother

Wed, Aug 29 2012, 6:04 pm

amother wrote:

OP here, thanking everyone who answered (so far.) WHY WHY WHY is it so hard to find this very basic information online or directly in the welcome letter?! No matter what words I google together with food stamps all I get is info about applying and qualifying, nothing about how it works after the fact.

Typical govt officesAnother big question: On the application, I put me, DH, and DD on the case. However now that we've been approved the approval letter came to me and only my benefit card seems to work for food stamps (DH tried his and it didn't. We all have benefit cards because we were on medicaid before) Any idea why that is, is it supposed to work on all our cards because we're all on the case, is there any way to get it to work for all of us?

Only one card will work, the person's who filled out the application

amother

Wed, Aug 29 2012, 6:06 pm

FS is meant to supplement your nutrition, not pay for any and all that you want. It is a HUGE help in my house, but we are very careful in how we use them so they last the month. You can but frozen pizza but we don't unless its on some kind of really good sale. Otherwise, its a waste of money.

It does roll over month to month. If you put things on the counter that FS doesn't cover, you will have to pay the balance.

And, as you have already seen, ppl will advise you to do all kinds of illegal things with the allotment. Do NOT be tempted to do it. First of all, it is wrong to do those thing, even if a shady store lets. Also, and I personally know someone this happened to, when you get caught, you get kicked off the program totally and you have to pay all that money back. You can even get arrested.

My advice, be grateful to H' and the govt for giving you this and be a careful shopper.

amother

Wed, Aug 29 2012, 6:15 pm

OP here. Considering that right now due to circumstances I have almost ZERO income, yes actually I am relying on food stamps to cover all my food expenses. I have long been a frugal shopper and as I mentioned before even the lower amount that I've gotten is more than I usually spend on my own.

I am very much NOT out to defraud the government, I live very legally. However if I am in fact entitled to more as the online calculators predicted, I sure wouldn't mind getting it, at least some. As I mentioned before, I am pregnant and will soon be nursing and yet I haven't had any meat in my body in ages. I know you can live very healthily on vegetable proteins and irons but that's not what I'm used to and it's not happening so easily. Plus I only make it on this budget through very careful shopping including doing big sale stock-ups in other neighborhoods (where I live the supermarkets are more expensive) and even though I would be careful with government money too, at this point being exhausted from pregnancy and soon to be postpartum I definitely would not mind being able to relax a little. So I do wonder why, with very close to zero income and what I do have is not even enough to cover my rent, I am getting LESS THAN HALF of the maximum possible allotment for my family size.

B"H YOM YOM

Wed, Aug 29 2012, 7:01 pm

Answers to FS queries:

*Save all paperwork received
*Absolutely YES to rollover
*All food items allowed excluding ready to eat, ie: take-out
*All typical supermarkets/grocery stores accept
*Just shop as usual, cashier will give you total. Use food stamp card first to pay and the allowed items will be deducted. They will then inform you of the balance which you can pay any way you wish.
*Bottom of receipt will indicate remaining FS total so you can keep track. Make sure you know what day is your 'start date'. That will be the day your card automatically replenishes each month.
*Card only works under one name-that of the applicant

Good luck and b'shaah tova, please take care of yourself and feel good!

amother

Wed, Aug 29 2012, 8:43 pm

yes but not all bakeries accept food stamps (although most do I believe). Also butchers that have a take out will allow you to use the fs for their take out food as well.

The money may come in every month on a diff date for ex. one month it can be on the 3rd and the next month on the 6th of the month. You can call the toll free number from the back of your card and follow the prompts to hear the avail balance and when the money will refill the next time. Just note, if your letter says you got it "expedited" or something like that then there is a chance that it will take longer for the money to come in the following month since they rushed the 1st payment but they still need to finish the processing of your case.... That is what happened to me- I also received it the first time closer to end of month but then it took a good few weeks for it to come in again but afterwards it should come in automatically every month.

amother

Wed, Aug 29 2012, 8:50 pm

amother wrote:

Are you receiving WIC?

amother

Wed, Aug 29 2012, 11:00 pm

OP here, we have been getting wic for a while so when I talk about my food budget that means not including the wic items. The butcher takeout thing sounds fraudulent. I'm not interested in breaking the rules, just using them legitimately to as much advantage as I can while still being a mentsh. I am not going to use government money to eat at fancy restaurants but if it will enable me to afford the bug-free broccoli which is so healthy and everyone in my family loves but is usually beyond our means, then yes please.

Thanks for the bakery advice. I'll have to find out if my local bakeries have it.