I got food stamps

For a long time I was really against getting food stamps because I don't consider myself poor, and I'm young and don't have kids or a family to support, even though I've qualified for food stamps for a long time I refused to get them because there are people who need it more than me, and I didn't want to be apart of government spending.

However.. this last year I was shocked to discover I owed my state $600 dollars after doing my tax return. (I got money back from the federal return, I was expecting the same for the state) I make about 600-800 dollars a month, depending on my hours. Unfortunately I live in one of the few states that collects income tax on those at and below the poverty line.. they will literally tax the income of someone if they made $1 for the entire year..

Anyway having to pay the state after doing taxes it really put me in a tight spot, I was a little ashamed when I first got the food assistance, but I am no longer.. when I first applied I was getting about $150 a month, then I just got a 35 cent raise at work.. after submitting this info they took my food stamps down to $60 a month.. 35 cents extra an hour doesn't balance that out at all.

The point I guess I'm trying to get at is that it's not like the food stamp program is this horrible thing where everyone is taking advantage of it and getting tons of free money. If the state tax didn't take so much out of my paychecks I'd have way more than $67 a month extra to pay for groceries and wouldn't be getting food stamp assistance. Also the most you can make and still be on the food assistance program is 1,000 a month (that is your gross pay, before taxes are taken out).. people on food stamps obviously need help, and who can judge them harshly without being in their position?

Not that it matters, but for my own self-esteem I feel the need to state that I'm taking college classes so I don't plan on making $600 a month for the rest of my life hah..

reply to post by Drezden


Sometimes you have to do what you have to do. I was there several years ago, I didn't have a choice. It is a humbling experience. On top of it, you have to cope with peoples attitudes.
I'll never forget the time my landlord who had a Lexus drove me to the store and someone decided to automatically assume that because I was ridding with someone who had money, I was abusing the system.
People think that if you are on food stamps it automatically gives them the right to treat you like dirt.

Hang in there.

I got food stamps

...as well as 47 million other people living in the US. You are not alone by any means.

If you can, imagine driving all day, every day, for 31 days. That relentless line of people standing heel-to-toe passes by at 60 miles per hour for an entire month. When you have reached your destination 15,500 miles away, the 47,000,000 people you will have passed is the number of people lining up for a meal every day in America's breadline, also known as food stamps.

1.75 = feet per person in line
47,000,000 = people on SNAP
82,250,000 = feet of breadline
15,577 = miles of breadline

Everything is fine, though.

reply to post by Drezden

If the state tax didn't take so much out of my paychecks I'd have way more than $67 a month extra to pay for groceries and wouldn't be getting food stamp assistance.

Exactly!

Honestly, I think you just solved the riddle.

Look at this this way my friend

You are paying the state it's taxes, in return YOU ARE ENTITLED to receive some form of safety net program in case you fall in a tight spot like yourself.

A lot of wingnuts love to generalize and make it seem as if everyone receiving food stamps is a lazy moocher with 10 kids, and that simply isn't the case. A big majority of food stamp recipients are people just like yourself, people who are working but yet don't make nearly enough to support their family.

Don't be ashamed

your on food stamps, yet you can afford what ever the cost of your internet service provider charges. even if your on one of the cut rate ten dollar service plans, you could take that ten bucks and
buy a couple of loafs of bread, or at some stores 20 cans of beans, peas, corn. or two gallons of milk, or countless other food items. you don't need the internet, but you do need to eat.

now that being said, i got no problem helping those that need it or who are working and trying to make it and can't. or those who are working to get a better life than what they have. but they also have to learn that there are some things they don't need to survive.

i do have a problem with those who, sit around and do nothing and think that we should pay them to do it.

as far as school, look i understand wanting to get a degree and not have to bust your hump everyday.
but everybody can't be lawyers, doctors, cpa's, scientists, and such. there are only so many jobs out there for that. there are people that have degrees that are flipping hamburgers and are standing there right beside you drawing food stamps.

i hope what ever your studying for is a high demand job, and has a long term need.

i can't find it now, but in the past week or so i saw a news story about manufacturers coming back to the U.S., thing is they are going all automated. so even if you get into robotics, there will only be so many jobs there. the best thing i could tell you to do is be a plumber, electrician, or something that people will always have a need for.

reply to post by hounddoghowlie


That is something that really scares the bejeezus out of me. I retired two years ago and went straight into school for MLT (Medical Laboratory Technician). Two semesters to go until I finish and EVERY job requires a minimum of three years lab experience. It's looking like I wasted two and a half years and half my GI Bill.

OP - I can understand the turmoil about the assistance, but you have to let that go. It's a safety net. Very few people (even what the call "wing-nuts") want to see that erased. What kind of man would not give his fellow human being a hand up?

It's the hand outs that people protest against. I do not think you fall into this category. Three and four generations in families that have only known state/federal assistance as an income. People selling their SNAP cards and letting kids go hungry. The people that scream "you need to take responsibility for my actions". The fraud, waste, and abuse that is rampant in the federal and state programs.

Keep your chin up and keep pushing forward. What's behind us has already been done

hounddoghowlie
your on food stamps, yet you can afford what ever the cost of your internet service provider charges. even if your on one of the cut rate ten dollar service plans

Yup I sure do, being in school, having internet is a near must, the computer lab isn't open late at night.. like when I get off work, and when I need to do research and type papers having the internet at home is important to me. Even if I wasn't in school I'd still pay the $20 a month for internet, not having the internet at home in 2013 puts you at a big disadvantage to other people.

hounddoghowlie
i got no problem helping those that need it or who are working and trying to make it and can't. or those who are working to get a better life than what they have. but they also have to learn that there are some things they don't need to survive.

I don't buy alcohol, or candy, or soda or any other enjoyable consumable.. so I use the left over money after bills and rent to pay for internet, and I'm content with that. Sure the internet is not a necessity, but I don't have a tv/cable or any other source of entertainment.. just because I'm on food stamps doesn't mean I should deny myself the internet, and $20 dollars spent on food isn't going to put me in a position to not need food stamps.

reply to post by Drezden


Thanks for speaking up about your situation. You are clearly not an abuser of the system. Some people have no idea what it is like to have no family or support system. The majority of people DO NOT make it on their own. There is usually a long line of established people that help them along the way. I see things like the person making a comment about bread and beans not directed at them but I see these comments all the time from people that ate like during their "struggles" an think they roughed so can everyone else. They completely leave out the part where someone else was paying for their education, rent, transportation, insurance, clothes and whatever surprise expenses came up.
I've never had government assistance but I know what its like having no family or support system to draw from because THEY DON'T EXIST!
I have no problems with my tax dollars helping you or anyone like you that is in a situation I have gone through go on a and make something of themselves and give back 10 fold! So many people miss the bigger picture. Good luck to you in life.

There is nothing wrong with getting foodstamps if you need them. The program is there to help people till they get on their feet. Some people take advantage of it but others need it. How can you work and think if you are not making enough to buy food. The program is a good program, they just have to figure out how to keep some people from abusing it. If a person is working part time and getting stamps, he should not be required to put in much work for the stamps, he/she should be available to work more at the job which will reduce the stamps in the future. Now if the person does not work and has no limitations, doing a little community service would not hurt. Food stamps are not like direct assistance where a person gets money for all living expenses. These people who get full benefits need to put in a little time unless again there is already someone working full time and they don't make enough.

If they brought the jobs back to this country, very few people would be on assistance, blame big business and the government for allowing this exporting of the jobs to occur. The Unions didn't help, nobody was compromising. I guess greed on the part of workers contributed to this loss of jobs. Reason-ability on both sides should have been observed. Separation of the classes accelerated, and soon the middle class started to shrink and the lower class started to grow. The upper class grew a little on paper but in essence, they are overextended also. This is a big mess, a consumer based society cannot work right.

Internet access is no longer a luxury.
I think the whole, "if you can afford the internet you don't need food stamps" Is One of those Hannityisms, or Limbaughisms, to get the far right liberals that listen to their show fired up. Yes, I said liberals.

anyhow. Do your best with what you have. Do not deprive yourself of basic human needs, and that is more than just food. And most of all, good luck on your studies. Learn to do what you like (and can make some money doing).

I too get them and fighting SS er social security, can no longer work, it is hard not working, checked in to them work at home deals nothing but scams. do what you need to do , not all degrees mean a good job , know some that have 4 or 5 year under their belts and work at the local store as a bagger

food stamps don't buy diapers

reply to post by Drezden


Most colleges have dorms, going into one might be a lot cheaper than renting elsewhere. You wouldn't have to pay for utilities, food plans and medical are lower on campus too. Plus, you probably wouldn't have to pay for internet. Then, your take home pay will go a lot further. Working full time and taking classes full time isn't a lot of fun, but it will get you to a degree a lot faster. That's what I did, and I don't regret doing it. It's also a plus when looking for work as many employers will note that you did a lot more than most.

If you qualify for assistance, take everything you can get -- the government will make you pay an absurd amount for as long as you work afterwards to provide for all the ones who don't want to work, as well as those who can't. +You are paying for others to use those dorms with your taxes, might as well pay yourself! If you eventually end up one of the "lucky" ones with a marginal total tax rate of 66% (39% Fed, 12% state, 15% SSI) , you can thank yourself for all your hard work. You will pay that meager assistance back, and a lot more.

Whatever you do, make sure that the degree you are pursuing has value to an employer. Unless you just love gaining knowledge at any expense..... IMO a better plan in the latter case is to pursue that subject after you get settled in a career. There is a lot of economically useless paper being offered at colleges these days as many new graduates have discovered.

reply to post by Drezden


No judgement from me. I have been there myself, and got through it. Things are slowly getting better. Good luck to you.

spacedoubt
Internet access is no longer a luxury.
I think the whole, "if you can afford the internet you don't need food stamps" Is One of those Hannityisms, or Limbaughisms, to get the far right liberals that listen to their show fired up. Yes, I said liberals.

anyhow. Do your best with what you have. Do not deprive yourself of basic human needs, and that is more than just food. And most of all, good luck on your studies. Learn to do what you like (and can make some money doing).

My boyfriend had to submit several applications that were strictly online. Some were for out of town. The internet should actually be free because it is a necessity. Some children are assigned homework that requires internet. Our library here closes early because we are a small town.

To the person who said the internet is a luxoury?

Have you tried applying for jobs resently?

Everythings done on computers! If you dont have email or a way to submit your cv online you can kiss 99% of jobs goodbye!

And if you want to set up your own buisness? No internet=forget it.

reply to post by Drezden

I am considering doing the same, I am getting older and have been unemployed due to injury for several months. Being under employed or unemployed has been an issue for half of the last decade for me, sometimes it just isn't possible to get by on savings that are constantly being depleted for lack of income.

I know there are a lot of people out there who are young and strong, and pardon my saying "naïve", who claim that there is no reason anyone should get anything for, as many say "nothing". I have considered going back to school but have already gone that route and enjoyed learning stuff, but it really didn't fatten anyone's wallet but the school's, I never really benefitted from it in any way but to learn what a giant scam this whole mess really is.

I really believe one of the biggest reasons older people are seen as un-desirable for employment is the increased cost of employing people who will draw on insurance from age related maladies, really!, it may be illegal to discriminate against someone regarding several traits etcetera, but then, there have to be laws out there to force employers to even pay their employees, so I really can't see how it'll get any better for me unless I start my own business doing something or other, then everyone and their brother is trying to sue you and take something for nothing based on bullspit claims, and split it with some greedy corrupt and heartless lawyer.

Can't take advantage of someone who knows that your initial intention is to take advantage of them now, can you?, and I'm just about done being abused by products of abuse who are supposedly my superiors.

More coffee, need more coffee, and a new hard drive my puter is telling me now.....

reply to post by spartacus699

I made a similar observation regarding the fact that food stamps don't buy toilet paper, so one can eat, but one cannot wipe their ass after evacuating their bowels.

Kind of like a sick joke I think, next thing is it'll be illegal to smell like ass....

reply to post by BayesLike

What if the degree that supposedly makes one so much more valuable is not in demand when one graduates?.
That is a common mistake people make, and a common reason to go to school for a degree being pushed on young people, too often it is only a way to trick one into debt, really it is, as most things are in this world.

Figure out an emerging technology to jump into, like wind power, that doesn't need the people to build it after it's built, and only a few people to maintain it afterward, and you're still screwed unless you are single and can travel around building them, but eventually they won't need an y more wind -turbines, then what?.

I have a degree in a medical field, I won't do that type of work because I have principles which will not allow me to take advantage of people and cause damage as most medical fields do.

In the end, I have to live with myself.