Food Stamps

Oldtart thank you for finally elaborating on your statement. From your account I do not see what is so difficult. It seems you had to wait around for a while. You had to gather documents. If you consider that difficult, I would hate to see you face a real challenge. People can decide when they read our accounts who has more credibility. I say its fairly simple, and outlined the simple process. You said its very difficult, but your account disputes that.

It appears that gringo needs further information on why I described the SNAP application as, " It's not a walk in the park by any remote stretch, the processing is rigorous, detailed and humbling, and the relief is minimal - but when you're reduced to circumstances requiring assistance, every little helps". Apparently his experience was indeed a "SNAP" of filling out the paperwork from a download, popping into the office, answering a few questions and shortly thereafter receiving a card "loaded" with benefits. Maybe the STX office isn't as inundated as that on STT or maybe his experience wasn't in the USVI at all but obviously our basic experiences were quite different.

I made a total of four visits, three of which entailed close to three hours of waiting along with scores of other applicants while the caseworkers who were obviously completely overloaded tried to make their way through everyone's applications. Full documentation to support every claim is required from immigration status to proof of income and everything else in between. It was about five weeks after the third visit that a letter came in the mail advising that my application had been approved. At the same time I was eligible for and received through the senior program a deduction of a little under $10 on my basic telephone bill, plus one free tank of cooking gas per year. I hadn't been aware of those small benefits but the caseworker had been kind enough to bring them to my attention. The fourth visit to pick up the card was quick and easy and entailed watching a short video on how the card worked and what it covered, as well as having the card duly registered and put into the system. The benefit of $101/month is for one year, after which time the application is re-evaluated to determine whether circumstances continue to warrant the assistance.

I hope gringo who wanted details and anyone else who may at some time have to go through the procedure finds this helpful.

VI C, What's the going rate for a canadian college education?

Its approximately 75% less than the cost of the comparable US colleges we looked at. And...no direct cost for healthcare.

However, our son reports that the cost of Cruzan Rum is outrageous at $28 for a bottle we pay $7 here.

Gotta love it.

From your account I do not see what is so difficult. /quote]

Of course you are absolutely right and I stand corrected. My account was skewed based on limitations connected to age and physical problems which of course I now (thanks to your infinite wisdom) understand completely clouded my perspective. My humble apologies for having not thought it all through and given the right response. To give an accounting of a visit to a social services office so fraught with misleading statements is a serious lapse and I'll be sure to try and not make the same mistake again if any such similar subject is raised on which I might have an opinion. Thanks so much for challenging me and enabling me to see the light.

 

Oldtart,

1. Please do not make assumptions or statements about me that are not true. I hereby declare that my wisdom is not infinite. I understand where you may think it is, but it is just not true.

2. Touche

What is considered a necessity? I just wonder when you are going through the qualification process for SNAP or Food Stamps or whatever, if they review your income and your expenses? Do they consider high-speed internet and satellite TV a necessity?

These two services combined cost about $100 per month if not more.

Rotor any monthly expenses you have including the ones you stated above are counted towards your monthly expenses. I think you may even get more food stamps if you have more expenses.

You must have seen Stossels poor in america segment. Alot people on public assistance have A/C, smart phones(and also their free obamaphone for backup), internet, video game consoles, flat screen tv's, etc. Its not always a matter of you cant feed your family, but a mattter of I cant feed my family and also have all the stuff I want lol.

This is nothing new. Back when projection tvs were new{and very expensive), I had a friend who worked in pest control. One of his jobs was to do a very large project back in Mass. He told me he had never even SEEN a 60 inch tv in someones house until he did the projects. He was disgusted that so many people there had them but nobody he knew could even afford one.

Rotor any monthly expenses you have including the ones you stated above are counted towards your monthly expenses. I think you may even get more food stamps if you have more expenses.

So let me understand. They look at your expenses to determine how much "Assistance" you need, but they don't look close enough to determine whether your expenses are necessary expenses?

What is considered a necessity? I just wonder when you are going through the qualification process for SNAP or Food Stamps or whatever, if they review your income and your expenses? Do they consider high-speed internet and satellite TV a necessity?

These two services combined cost about $100 per month if not more.

No, internet and satellite TV aren't considered at all. If you go to the SNAP link which I believe was posted earlier you'll see from the application form what's required to qualify. Basically it's dependent on your income, the number of dependents in your household, your rent and utility costs. All expenses and income have to be verified. If you've run yourself into debt through purchasing toys such as 60" TVs, smart phones and whatever else, that's your problem and none of that is taken into consideration. In other words, you won't get any more than you're qualified for based on income and very basic living expenses such as rent and utilities.

Rotor any monthly expenses you have including the ones you stated above are counted towards your monthly expenses. I think you may even get more food stamps if you have more expenses.

This above statement of yours is so false and all lies. OT answered truthfully and you would know the guidelines if you truthfully have had experience with the FS program, if your below quote is the truth and not another lie of yours.

Experience......when was the last time you went through this rigorous process that you describe?

Wow Beachcomber that was a hostile attack on me. You must be a very mean bitter person.

As Oldtart pointed out I was incorrect in what I said. There is a difference between saying something you think is true but is not and lying.

In my mind I was associating cell phone bills, which they do use, with the other services Rotor mentioned.

I apologize for jumping the gun on that response and not throrougly thinking it through.

So for the record I was wrong about tv and internet services being counted. When I lived in the states it was very common for people to have phone, internet, and tv all lumped into a package price for one lump sum per month and I think they used to count the total bill. However I am not totally sure so to protect myself against attacks from Beachcomber I would like to point that out.

Beachcomber I hope you are able to get some help for your problems.

Also Beachcomber you say that this is "another lie of yours"

I am curious as to what lies you have caught me in. Please elaborate thanks.

Wow Beachcomber that was a hostile attack on me.  You must be a very mean bitter person.
That is so far from the truth. You just don't know how to react when someone uses your own medicine against you, so you try to belittle me.

As Oldtart pointed out I was incorrect in what I said.   There is a difference between saying something you think is true but is not and lying.
Get your facts straight before posting. Don't think and post!

In my mind I was associating cell phone bills, which they do use, with the other services Rotor mentioned. 
They do not use cell phone bills as an expense. Only phone land lines. Don't associate in your mind, doesn't work for you.

I apologize for jumping the gun on that response and not throrougly thinking it through. 
Again, don't think, use facts before posting!

So for the record I was wrong about tv and internet services being counted.  When I lived in the states it was very common for people to have phone, internet, and tv all lumped into a package price for one lump sum per month and I think they used to count the total bill.  However I am not totally sure so to protect myself against attacks from Beachcomber I would like to point that out. 
Not true again! You were only thinking, which doesn't seem to be a strong point of yours and not using facts yet again. Only land lines, even if a client does bundle their services. The HS workers know what the cost is for a land line in the office they work. Here or in the states.

Beachcomber I hope you are able to get some help for your problems.
I don't need help. I am a very nice person and not a bully like you, as you have shown on this thread.

Also Beachcomber you say that this is "another lie of yours" 

I am curious as to what lies you have caught me in.  Please elaborate thanks.
You posted a quote that you have experience in the Human Services Office applying for FS-see my above post.. If you did, you would "know" the guidelines for expenses and not just "think" what expenses are actually used. So, looks like you have no actual experience, like OT expressed! So you lied and got caught!