Food Stamps

With the rising number of Americans on food stamps, there has been a growing number of misconceptions regarding the food stamp program and cash benefits. These misconceptions have led individuals to believe that those on food stamps can purchase everything from alcohol to cigarettes in addition to the food benefits that they have been given. This misconception has led to several issues in grocery stores, fraud reporting divisions of police departments and in day-to-day life throughout the country. The following are a few misconceptions of food stamps and cash benefits and the truth regarding these misconceptions.

Food Stamp Beneficiaries Can Purchase Alcohol and Cigarettes

The biggest misconception of food stamp and cash benefits is the belief that beneficiaries can purchase alcohol and cigarettes through their EBT cards. The truth is, that the current EBT card holds not only food benefits but cash benefit as well. This cash benefit can come in several forms including child support payments and other government cash benefit payments. This means, that if individual is the beneficiary of either the food stamp or cash benefits program, they will be given the same EBT card to use for their purchases. Though alcohol and cigarettes are not permitted on the food stamp beneficiary purchase list, if the beneficiary has cash benefits from child support or other programs they will be able to use the EBT card to purchase these items.

Beneficiaries Can Sell Cash Benefits

Another growing misconception is that beneficiaries can sell their cash benefits. This means that if a beneficiary has cash benefits on an EBT card, the beneficiary would be able to sell or give away those cast benefits. Though this misconception is based in some form of fact, is still not entirely accurate. If a beneficiary has cash benefits on their EBT card, and if an ATM is available to withdraw cash from the EBT card, then they may be able to withdraw the cash benefits to receive the cash and pay for items that are not legally purchasable on the EBT card itself. This particular issue has led to several fraud claims and has brought to light some of the problems with the food stamp and cash benefit dual card management system.

Beneficiaries Can Sell Food Stamp Benefits

Much like the misconception that beneficiaries can sell cash benefits, said benefits follow the same category. Though an individual could decide to illegally trade their food stamp benefits for cash, the act of selling food stamps is not possible if the beneficiary is only using the EBT card. There are fraudulent methods that a beneficiary can use in order to sell food stamps. These methods include trading food for cash or allowing an unauthorized individual to use their food stamp benefit card. However, completely selling food stamp benefits for cash is not easily possible.

These misconceptions are the top three misconceptions regarding the food stamp and cash benefits program. These misconceptions have brought to light several issues with the combined cash benefit and feed stamp EBT card program. They have also brought to light several issues with how the food stamp and cash benefits programs are handled, what can be purchased, and the ease of being able to fraudulently trade or sell benefits. Though the government is currently working on ways to avoid these issues, these misconceptions and the truth behind misconceptions remain an issue throughout the United States.