The first of every month, about 440,000 households in the state get their monthly allotment of food stamps - now known as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits - and many promptly head to their local grocery stores.
Checkout lines can be much longer. Items such as Cheerios and broccoli can disappear from shelves. Some stores bring in extra staff.
Only nine states do business this way.
Now, that's about to change in Virginia, as the state Department of Social Services will begin to alter the way it issues SNAP benefits in September. By October the benefits will be dispersed on the 1st, 4th, 7th and 9th of the month, based on the last digit of the recipient's case number.
The change was spurred by retailers who said they had difficulty keeping their shelves stocked at the beginning of the month, said Tom Steinhauser, director of division benefit programs for social services. He said recipients also will benefit.
"The idea is to make sure that retailers can keep their shelves stocked so everyone is not running to the grocery store at the first of the month," Steinhauser said.
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3 comments:
You know, that's what is wrong with the program, way too many people. I was out of work due to surgery for 4 months. I was living off savings and after paying taxes for 20 years, I actually went and asked for assistance from social services. Did I get it, hell no. Bet if I was a bum not doing or trying to help myself out the benefits would have been endless.
Maryland already does this. According to the first letter of your last name, the food stamps will be on the card from the 1st of the month to the 15th for the same reason. People who pay with their hard earned money would go to the stores and the shelves and advertised items were gone. I am confused because I have never seen anyone on food stamps bother to look for a sale or clip coupons. They get food for free so they can buy the top of the line items. What is left for the rest of us is store brand/generic which I have no problem with. I save money and can buy a little bit more.
Dag Shorty, don't hold me up from getting the Obama handouts Yo!
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