Wal-Mart caves to SCs, allows them to get cartloads of "free"groceries

[Panacea]

Or the employees will end up paying.

The more I live, the less sympathetic I am to customers and their piddly ass problems.

Wal Mart will pay. The employees were following instructions; they won't be held responsible. Louisiana has already made that clear; Wal Mart is at fault. WM can try and sue Xerox, but the bottom line is WM didn't follow procedures when technical glitches occur, so they're on the hook.

The last time I checked the balance there was like $2000 ready to be used. I could not justify using those 'not legally received" dollars though I could have if I so choose.

You have this little thing called "character." It's a personality trait that is rapidly vanishing from the American landscape.

I'm all for cutting them from the program. But *only* the ones who can be proven to be doing it deliberately. In many cases that's going to be obvious, but where and how do you make a sharp enough distinction?

It's pretty easy to prove when they spend a grand on one go, when most families get a few hundred a month at most.

[Judecat]

A single person gets $200, each additional family member gets $150, so yeah, it's pretty easy to know when you've gone way over your limit.

[Racket_Man]

It's pretty easy to prove when they spend a grand on one go, when most families get a few hundred a month at most.

My question would be: HOW or where would you store $1000 in food type stuff esp if you bought frozen or refridgerated food item. Not to mention dry goods such as boxed type dinners like say Hamburger Helper or Noodle Roni. 2 or 3 or 4 or 8 cartloads is a LOT of food items.

Yes I know some people have upright freezers that can store a lot BUT how much can you stuff into your average upright freezer????.

Yes I live in a smallish house but we have limited storage space. Unless these people are doing the Extreem Couponer thing and storing non perishable stuff EVERYWHERE.

[Andara Bledin]

My guess is that most of them turned around and resold the goods to neighbors at a loss because they're stupid enough to think they won't be paying for what they took.

If they weren't stupid, they wouldn't have taken advantage of the error to begin with. I mean, it's all on the cards, and those are tracked.

[DGoddess]

A single person gets $200, each additional family member gets $150, so yeah, it's pretty easy to know when you've gone way over your limit.

That single person may get $200 but it's based on income.

My mom and brother are both disabled and receiving Social Security benefits.

My brother gets around 750/month (he just lost 90/month due to having to pay Medicare premiums)

My mom gets around the same (total between drawing her own social security plus a divorced wife's benefit off my dad.)

Their combined income makes them eligible for $16 in EBT per month.

$16 dollars a month . . . yet we've got people coming off the boat being given over $1000/month (I've ran register on EBT days . . . I've seen the balances left over on some of these cards and, frankly it chaps my ass!!!)

I am out here busting my ass full time, paying just over $100/every 2 weeks for insurance (can't get insurance through the government exchange b/c I can get coverage through my employer) yet what I draw after taxes may be anywhere from $550 - $600 every two weeks (and as high as our bills are with Duke Energy gouging the state of NC for rate hikes every few months, water rates going up every few months, yadda yadda) I cannot qualify for a damn thing - but I'm glad my Mom and brother can get some help.

Even though they get Medicaid (on top of the Medicare) and Mom qualified for a free cell phone, $16 a month for FOOD? And forget about the heating check in February - our state DSS has made it so much harder now for people to qualify for heating assistance, Mom hasn't been able to qualify now for at least 3 years - even though she and my brother both are disabled.

Yet we've got folks taking full advantage of the system . . . and this situation in LA just makes me madder than a wet hen! There should be a way for the state DSS to be able to go through those register transactions and get the EBT card numbers and then hold those cardholder accountable for what they did. Cut them from the welfare rolls and give what they were getting legitimately to those who really need it.

And I wouldn't put it past Wal Mart to try to shift the blame elsewhere for their failure to follow their own protocol. I would say that the dumbass District Manager who allowed this would be fired, but they'd only get moved upstairs to a cushy corporate job instead.

[Judecat]

DGoddess, you are totally correct -- I left out a word -- the maximum for one person is $200.
I did find out that two adults living in the same house, even if they are related (except husband and wife, or if one is counted as a dependent on income tax), can count as two seperate households, (at least in Maryland that is) and the income limit for two separate households is more than a houshold of 2. When I was unemployed I got payed a little under $1000 and I was getting $16. One the other hand my sister makes about $50,000 a year, and her income has nothing to do with me.

My point was that unless someone has 5 or 6 children then they know that they are not entitled to thousands of dollars in groceries at one time.

[EricKei]

I heard about this one, too >_> WM -- due to Corporate's intervention, violated State law. It's on them. While I cannot confirm this, it is my understanding that, in some areas (EBT was screwed up in 17 states), the cards would work if you charged LESS than $100 per transaction, so they would just have the cashiers enter multiple $99 payment inputs...

isn't it restricted to perishables, food that could go bad?

While it may vary by state, EBT cards generally allow one to purchase food that must be "prepared" in some way, but this is not always the case. Depending on how the local law applies, stuff like ice cream may or may not be eligible (as it is literally ready to eat right out of the box) in some states. The main hard and fast rule is "no tobacco/medications/alcohol."

e.g., you can buy bread, deli meat, cheese, mayo, etc, on EBT, but a pre-made sandwich generally isn't eligible; however, something like a Lunchable or pre-made sandwish wrap with no condiments on it may be eligible. At some convenience stores back in NOLA, they would exploit an apparent loophole to let people buy pizzas or hot sandwiches/poboys. The unbaked pizzas (or a "cold" sandwich) were sold to the customer, paid for, then handed right back to the deli clerk to bake them or add hot gravy and heat them up.

My question would be: HOW or where would you store $1000 in food type stuff esp if you bought frozen or refridgerated food item.

Bring some to a friend's house and ask them to store it, in exchange for letting them keep a couple packages of meat or whatever for themselves.

Even though they get Medicaid (on top of the Medicare) and Mom qualified for a free cell phone, $16 a month for FOOD?

Mom's on Social Security (due to age) and Disability; she qualifies for a whopping $13 a month in foodstamps. She has a $300-a-month little bitty apartment and she's having trouble making ends meet even that way >_<

[protege]

But these fuckers: throw the book at them.

They should be dealt with quickly and severely. Loss of benefits, no way to get back into the program...and hefty fines.

[bainsidhe]

I feel this is fraud, plain and simple. If an ATM machine starts shooting cash into the air, anyone caught or identified taking the "free" money will forced to pay it back, otherwise face the consequences. I sympathize with anyone who needs welfare to support themselves and their families, but I hope they drop a hammer on the scammers who took advantage.

[Ginger Tea]

My dad once encountered an ATM at a supermarket (back when they didn't like talking to other banks cash cards so you had 4 different banks ATM's along the wall) which had £20's in the £10 draw, so he got double his money out when it finished counting, others who found this out then put their cards back in and went for more, my dad knowing this was a human error knew that they could and would check records, it only affected one ATM for the bank, if the others were also wrong then it would be the other banks problem to sort out, but was the cash filler responsible for 4 banks or just one?

Come bank statement it is shown as £40 withdrawal instead of £20 and those that went in and said "give me £50 found the other 'free' £50 taken."

Now if the machine just spat money out before I entered my card and the last person to use it was not to be seen I wont feel any guilt in going 'yoink' I just wont insert my own card in case they then go "well the machine spat out £20 by mistake then this guy put in his card so lets take it out of his account." granted if that is what they would do then the poor sod behind me gets stung for their error and my taking the opportunity.

[HYHYBT]

This is why modern ATMs generally don't drop money into a tray, but hang on to one end.

[Lace Neil Singer]

They ought to be made to pay it back. If they scream that they can't afford it, then send the ballifs in to strip the house of the flatscreen TV, Wii etc that for some reason all these people seem to have.

About a year ago, the council mistakenly dumped £2000 into my account. The moment I checked my balance and found it there, I went to the council waving a statement to tell them. It never even occurred to me to spend it, cuz it wasn't mine. But I bet that a lot of people would have just gone "Yay, free cash!" and spent it. And they would have been forced to go halves on their benefit til they'd paid it back.

I get minimal housing benefit cuz I work rather than sitting on my arse all day, shooting babies out like a pez dispenser, so forgive me for sounding bitter. It's just the natural state when you're living hand to mouth, yet the single mum in the council house with seven children gets enough cash to run an SUV and afford an iphone.

[Racket_Man]

They ought to be made to pay it back. If they scream that they can't afford it, then send the ballifs in to strip the house of the flatscreen TV, Wii etc that for some reason all these people seem to have.

Being a pizza delivery driver that is EXACTLY what I see during Welfare Week. The week that all of the child support payments get into accounts, and the cash part of welfare bennies get dumped in.

sitting on my arse all day, shooting babies out like a pez dispenser, so forgive me for sounding bitter. It's just the natural state when you're living hand to mouth, yet the single mum in the council house with seven children gets enough cash to run an SUV and afford an iphone.

not much more I can say to that. and remember that an Iphone phone/data/text/internet/whatever plan is NOT cheap. AND most game platforms have on-line network plans that do cost money (not really that cheap). and the tricked out/pimped out cars they drive ....... heck the sound system or most of the accessories cost more than I get paid in a week (wage + tips).

[smileyeagle1021]

heck the sound system or most of the accessories cost more than I get paid in a week (wage + tips).

And yet they complain that they don't get enough
Mom used to have a neighbor like that who would complain bitterly how unfair it was that we got to go on a major vacation at least once a year and would go on weekend trips in the RV every couple of months. She finally shut him up by saying "yeah, well, spend six years in college, another decade or so working your way up the corporate ladder, be willing to work long hours when required, and accept responsibility for your career, while at the same time not wasting money on the newest gadget that comes out every week or adding pointless upgrades to your car, and you too could afford to live nicely... or you can keep living off the generosity of my tax dollars and bitch and moan and get nowhere." Granted, it only shut him up until the next time we came back in the RV and it suddenly became very unfair again that he couldn't live that type of life also.

[DGoddess]

Being a pizza delivery driver that is EXACTLY what I see during Welfare Week. The week that all of the child support payments get into accounts, and the cash part of welfare bennies get dumped in.

Not everyone who gets food stamps, though, gets a cash benefit. At least not to my knowledge in North Carolina (laws may be different varying on state?)

My mom and brother only qualify for $16.00 per month EBT benefits. Both get Medicaid and Mom is on Medicare (she's almost 66 now and on Social Security benefits, which is better than no income, as is my brother, who is disabled.)

We don't get excited when EBT day comes . . . yeah, it's only 16 dollars. With today's grocery prices, that won't get you much - OTOH, as Mom will say, at least she's got a foot in the door. Which is also how she has a free cellphone (her minutes keep accumulating though b/c she only uses the phone for emergencies) - with Safelink, you have to be either receiving welfare benefits, social security, Medicare or Medicaid or any combination thereof (and it's only one phone per address as well.) I re-certify for her online at least once every year or so and as long as they say she can continue using the program, she will (even though I can add on another line to my phone plan for 9.99/month.)

Mom's way of thinking since she got sick has changed: it used to be "Oh, I don't really need help - others need it more."

Then, back in the early 80's when she was out of work for around a year due to a near fatal car wreck, we had to have help (Food Stamps and AFDC - Aid to Families w/Dependent Children) b/c she had no income and 2 kids to feed.

Her attitude then was "It's better than no help at all."

When she started back to work and drawing a paycheck, she called her caseworker and updated her as to her (Mom's) employment status and asked that her assistance be cut off. As Mom put it "I'm sure there's someone else out there who needs it more than we do now."

Since she became disabled in 2006, it changed to pretty much this:

"If I've worked all these years and took care of myself as best I could, then if I can qualify for it, I'll take it. I didn't ask to get sick, but that's life."

not much more I can say to that. and remember that an Iphone phone/data/text/internet/whatever plan is NOT cheap. AND most game platforms have on-line network plans that do cost money (not really that cheap). and the tricked out/pimped out cars they drive ....... heck the sound system or most of the accessories cost more than I get paid in a week (wage + tips).

I'm paying for a family plan on my wireless and I have the 3GB data for my iPhone - my current bill is around $125 (due to texting, which I don't have unlimited for, so it's on a per text basis)

And my iPhone is a 3GS, NOT a 5 or 5S, like what you'd usually see flashing about amongst folks w/the EBT cards. Mine was 99 cents to upgrade when I ordered it almost 2 years ago (I'm getting ready to upgrade to the 4S and I can either get the free 8 GB or the 49.99 16 GB model, haven't decided which one yet) and I'll hold on to the 3GS as a backup.

Most of our tv's are the old style . . . only flatscreen is mine and it's paid for.

I work my ass off for a company that's getting to be less concerned about their employees and more about their own pockets just so we can have the phones, Internet, (my brother's PS3 I paid cash for 2 Christmases ago at Target and he's got another one, a 500GB, currently on layaway at WM - I'm taking the 320 that I bought him and putting it in my office, and I'm going to learn to use it.)

We have Dish and a DVR, I'm just now buying myself a few new clothes when I can (my wardrobe is horribly outdated - aside from work khakis and shoes, my 2 pairs of jeans that I've worn for over a decade discovered religion and are now Holy and I've just bought 2 newer pairs on my recently acquired store credit card, which I'm paying on that bill in addition to my doctor bills, 3 major credit cards, buying a good chunk of the groceries and paying off a small loan I took out to cover the electric bill that was over 500 the other month.)

And don't talk to me about fancy cars . . . I see those and they make me sick to my stomach - we have ONE car and it's a 22 year old Toyota Corolla (our trucks were sold off several years ago after Mom got sick.) Hardly showy at all. . . . and paid for. Has been paid for over 10 years now.

I've had to do without quite a bit just to try to take care of my Mom and brother in these last few years.

Mom and my brother couldn't afford to live in our house currently if I weren't here . . . our rent is just under 500/mo (that's cheap for this area) but I can't afford 600/mo for a place on my own with what I make (barely 22,000 last year before taxes)

And there's no Section 8 help either. The waiting list is at least 2 years long already (might be 3 by now with this economy.) Only way they may be able to qualify is if I were not living here, but as I can't afford my own place, we 3 try to hang in there together.

I'm tired of being penalized because I decided to be responsible and NOT pop out kids that I couldn't afford, or get married and instead stayed home to take care of my family - I'm out here trying to bust my ass to have what I need.

I guess it just chaps my ass too much to see folks getting more help and living like kings while my family just gets enough to scrape by on and I'm straining at the gut just trying to fill in the gaps and try to do for me too.