Thread: The Coming Food Stamp Riots

The Coming Food Stamp Riots

By Michael Snyder, on October 16th, 2013

It may not happen this month, or even this year, but food stamp riots are coming to America. In fact, we got a small preview of the coming food stamp riots this past weekend when a "temporary system failure" caused food stamp cards to stop working in 17 U.S. states. Within hours, there were "mini-riots" at Wal-Marts and other retailers that rely heavily on food stamp users. So what would happen if food stamp benefits were cut off or reduced for an extended period of time? As you will see below, if Congress had not pushed through a "deal", the USDA would have started cutting off food stamp benefits on November 1st. Considering the fact that 47 million Americans are on food stamps and more than 100 million Americans are enrolled in at least one welfare program run by the federal government, that could have sparked massive rioting. So the good news is that the coming food stamp riots will probably not happen in November. The bad news is that the "deal" in Congress only delays the political fighting until after Christmas. In just a few months we will be dealing with a potential "government shutdown" and a debt ceiling deadline once again.

Most Americans have no idea what almost just happened. According to Reuters, the state of North Carolina had already cut off some welfare benefits for the month of November...

North Carolina has become the first state to cut off welfare benefits to poor residents in the wake of the partial federal government shutdown, ordering a halt to processing November applications until a deal is reached to end the federal standstill.
More than 20,000 people - most of them children - receive monthly benefits aimed at helping them buy food and other basic supplies through North Carolina's welfare program, called Work First, which is fully funded by the federal government. Recipients must reapply each month.

And as Mac Slavo recently detailed, the USDA was already planning to cut off food stamp assistance to millions of Americans on November 1st...

We say next month because the USDA, which oversees the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), has just issued an order to SNAP agency directors calling for their respective States to implement an emergency contingency program because of government funding issues. In a letter obtained by the Crossroads Urban Center food pantry, the USDA is directing state agencies to, “delay their November issuance files and delay transmission to State Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) vendors until further notice.”
What this means is that should Congress fail to increase the debt ceiling this week, come November there will literally be millions of people in the United States who will have exactly zero dollars transferred to their EBT cards.
What will happen to the nearly 50 million people who depend on these benefits to survive?

In fact, there have been quite a few news reports that have confirmed this...

In Utah, Fox News 13 in Salt Lake City reported that a local provider recently received a letter from the USDA sticking to the November 1 cut-off date.
“This is going to create a huge hardship for the people we serve here in our food pantry,” Bill Tibbits, Associate Director at Crossroads Urban Center, told Fox News 13.
“What this means [is] if there’s not a deal, if Congress doesn’t reach a deal to get federal government back up and running, in Utah about 100,000 families won’t get food stamp benefit,” added Tibbits.
The USDA letter says in part, “in the interest of preserving maximum flexibility, we are directing states to hold their November issuance files and delay transmission to state electronic benefit transfer vendors until further notice.”

So what would have happened if tens of millions of Americans suddenly had their food stamp benefits cut off without warning?
Well, what happened last weekend can give us a few clues. Just check out what happened at one Wal-Mart in Mississippi...

Customers staged a disturbance then walked out of a Mississippi Walmart store with groceries that hadn’t been paid for Saturday night after a computer glitch left them unable to use their food stamp cards.
People in 17 states found themselves unable to buy groceries with their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program cards after a routine check by vendor Xerox Corp. resulted in a temporary system failure.
Shortly after the mini-riot, managers decided to temporarily close the store, citing customer safety.

Due to this technical glitch, many parents were left wondering how they were going to feed their families. If this is the kind of anger that is unleashed over a single failed trip to the grocery store, what would we see if this kind of thing went on for an extended period of time?
At some Wal-Mart stores down in Louisiana, EBT cards were not showing any limits on Saturday night, and within two hours many store shelves in the grocery section were completely cleared of merchandise...

Shelves in Walmart stores in Springhill and Mansfield, LA were reportedly cleared Saturday night, when the stores allowed purchases on EBT cards even though they were not showing limits.
The chaos that followed ultimately required intervention from local police, and left behind numerous carts filled to overflowing, apparently abandoned when the glitch-spurred shopping frenzy ended.
Springhill Police Chief Will Lynd confirms they were called in to help the employees at Walmart because there were so many people clearing off the shelves. He says Walmart was so packed, "It was worse than any black Friday" that he's ever seen.

Sadly, this was only a very small preview of the massive food stamp riots that are eventually coming to America. I like how Mike Adamsexplained what we are likely to see in the future...

Why does any of this matter? Because this is exactly the same way these people will behave when the federal government goes into defaultand nearly 50 million EBT cards stop working nationwide.
Fifty million. Consider that for a moment. Most of those 50 million people live in high-density cities. Many are proud owners of Obama phones, Obama food stamps, Obama unemployment checks and Obama subsidized housing. They have absolutely no clue that the government upon which they wholly depend to put food on the table is teetering on the verge of permanent collapse. (Seriously, they cannot conceive of the idea of government "running out of money" because they do not understand where money comes from.) Because of this distorted belief, they do not prepare for any future events other than more Obama handouts. Their entire "preparedness" plan is to vote for Democrats, because that's who they know will give them the most handouts. And they will always win the popular vote, too, because any politician promising to restore responsible fiscal spending to the government by cutting programs will be viciously accused of being "mean" or involved in "hating poor people." So the government handouts will only ratchet higher and higher, ensnaring more and more people, until the entire system is unsustainable and collapses under its own weight.
When that system of dependence fails, those who depend on it will panic in mere hours. As proof of this, consider the fact that this mass looting of Wal-Mart stores happened in less than three hoursafter the Saturday EBT card glitch struck. Police had to be called in to prevent the situation from getting completely out of control, and it was offline for only part of one day.
Now imagine what will happen when EBT cards go offline for 24, 48 or even 72 hours. And imagine it happening in every U.S. city simultaneously.

Of course not all Americans would go wild when food stamp benefits are cut off.
Other Americans express their desperation in other ways. According toBloomberg, an increasing number of people are starting to sell hair, breast milk and their own eggs in a desperate attempt to make ends meet...

Hair, breast milk and eggs are doubling as automated teller machines for some cash-strapped Americans such as April Hare.
Out of work for more than two years and facing eviction from her home, Hare recalled Louisa May Alcott’s 19th-century novel and took to her computer.
“I was just trying to find ways to make money, and I remembered Jo from ‘Little Women,’ and she sold her hair,” the 35-year-old from Atlanta said. “I’ve always had lots of hair, but this is the first time I’ve actually had the idea to sell it because I’m in a really tight jam right now.”
The mother of two posted pictures of her 18-inchauburn mane on www.buyandsellhair.com, asking at least $1,000 and receiving responses within hours. Hare, who also considered selling her breast milk, joins others exploring unconventional ways to make ends meet as the four-year-old economic expansion struggles to invigorate the labor market and stimulate incomes.

We have moved into a time when things are becoming increasingly unstable and when people are becoming increasingly desperate.
In an attempt to keep order, the authorities will become increasingly forceful in the years ahead. At this point, many law enforcement officers already believe that there is very little that they cannot do to exert their "authority" over the rest of us. Just check out video of a drunk off-duty police officer "arresting" a woman that refused to go out on a date with him right here. Sadly, this type of behavior is becoming way too common these days.
And it looks like major financial institutions are getting ready for the chaos that is eventually coming as well. In fact, according to an articleby Paul Joseph Watson, Chase Bank is now placing a limit on cash withdrawals and is banning business customers from sending wire transfers out of the country...

Chase Bank has moved to limit cash withdrawals while banning business customers from sending international wire transfers from November 17 onwards, prompting speculation that the bank is preparing for a looming financial crisis in the United States by imposing capital controls.
Numerous business customers with Chase BusinessSelect Checking and Chase BusinessClassic accounts have received letters over the past week informing them that cash activity (both deposits and withdrawals) will be limited to a $50,000 total per statement cycle from November 17 onwards.

Fortunately, the chaos that would have been unleashed if Congress had not made a deal has now been delayed for a few months.
But by kicking the can down the road, our politicians continue to make our long-term problems even worse. Either we are going to have tremendous pain now, or we are going to have even worse pain later. Peter Schiff explained the choice that we are facing this way...

If Republicans were to inexplicably prevail, and the federal government were to cut spending so that its expenditures matched its tax revenues (a truly radical idea) the country's financial mess would be laid bare. The government would have to weigh the relative costs and benefits of making interest payments on Treasury debt (primarily to foreign creditors) or to trim entitlements promised to U.S. citizens. But those are choices we will have to make sooner or later anyway. In fact we should have dealt with these issues years ago. But generations of mechanistic debt ceiling increases have allowed us to perpetually kick the can down the road. What could possibly be gained by doing it again, particularly if it is done with no commitment to change course?
The Democrats' argument that America needs to pay its bills is just hollow rhetoric. Paying off one's Visa bill with a new and bigger MasterCard bill can't be considered a legitimate payment of debt. At best it is a transfer. But in the government's case, it doesn't even qualify as that. Treasury debt is primarily bought by the Fed, foreign central banks, and major financial institutions. None of that will change with a debt ceiling increase. We will just go to the same people for greater quantities. So it's like paying off your Visa card with a bigger Visa card.

We are living on borrowed time that has been purchased by stealing money from future generations.
We are literally destroying the future in order to make the present more palatable.
But whether it is this year, or next year or the year after that, at some point we are going to experience the pain that results from decades of incredibly foolish decisions.
I hope that you are getting ready.

October 16th, 2013 | Tags: A Debt, Benefits, Congress, Debt, Debt Ceiling, Debt Ceiling Deadline, Food Stamp, Food Stamp Benefits, Food Stamp Cards, Food Stamps, Government Shutdown, Massive Rioting,Michael T. Snyder, News, Political, Riots, Wal-Mart, Welfare | Category: Economic Despair


http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/a...od-stamp-riots

5 Hours Ago by Michael Snyder

47 Million Food Stamp Recipients Are Having Their Benefits Cut Back On November 1st

0 Comments

47.6 million Americans are about to have their food stamp benefits cut, and most of them have absolutely no idea that it is about to happen. Needless to say, a lot of them are going to be very angry when they discover that they cannot buy as much food for their families anymore. The reason that this is happening is because a temporary boost to food stamp benefits that was put in during the last recession is expiring. But most of the people that are having their benefits cut will not understand this. Most of them will just be very upset that the government is “taking money away” from them.

And considering the “mini-riots” that we witnessed earlier this month when the system that processes food stamp payments went down for a few hours, it is obvious that a lot of food stamp recipients can very easily be pushed over the edge. So what would happen if we have another “debt ceiling crisis” in Washington D.C. early next year and food stamp benefits are temporarily cut off completely?
Wherever “austerity” has been tried in Europe, it has resulted in protests and riots. Could a similar thing happen in this country?
NBC News is reporting that ALL food stamp recipients are going to have their food stamp benefits reduced in November. This is certainly not going to put those living in poverty in a good mood…

Millions of American families could face a sparse holiday table when food stamps benefits get reduced in November, and that could be just the start of deeper cuts to the program to feed poor families.
The modern-day food stamp plan, now called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, is scheduled to scale back benefits for all recipients on Nov. 1 because a recession-era boost in benefits is expiring.

Sadly, the truth is that food stamp benefits don’t even buy a lot of food right now. According to the USDA, the average monthly food stamp benefit is approximately $272 per household.
And now it will be even lower.
The government says that a family of four will be getting 36 dollars less per month starting on November 1st.
That may not sound like a lot to you, but for those living on the edge of poverty it can make a huge difference.
What are impoverished families supposed to do? Eat a diet that consists entirely of Ramen noodles?
Of course the real solution would be to provide good paying jobs for those families, but unfortunately our leaders continue to pursue policies that are systematically killing American jobs so that is not going to happen.
Meanwhile, those living in poverty continue to become angrier and more frustrated.
We got a glimpse of this earlier this month. The following is a brief excerpt from a recent article posted on offgridsurvival.com…

Over the weekend, the debit system that allows people on government assistance to buy food, temporarily went down. The resulting chaos is a small glimpse at what I believe will happen, should the government plunge this country into some sort of economic collapse.
A couple of Walmarts in Louisiana decided to allow people to shop, even though the system was down and they had no real way of knowing how much credit people had on their cards. The resulting chaos had the store’s shelves in Springhill and Mansfield, LA stripped bare, as food stamp recipients attempted to defraud the grocery stores.
When the system went back online, the grocery store found people who had as little as .49 on their Food Stamp cards attempting to steal over $700 in food. Local police were called in as the crowd started to turn ugly, and overflowing grocery carts were left abandoned in the aisles.

You can watch a video news report about what happened at these Wal-Mart stores right here…




But this is just the beginning. To get an idea of what is eventually coming to America, just check out what is happening in Italy right now…

Demonstrators clashed with Italian police on Saturday as tens of thousands marched through Rome to protest against unemployment, government cuts and big construction projects they say take money away from social services.
Hooded protesters turned over garbage bins in front of the Economy Ministry and set several of them on fire. Using sticks and clubs, they attacked police in riot gear. The police charged and chased demonstrators up side streets.
The hooded demonstrators, who infiltrated a mostly peaceful protest, threw smoke bombs, eggs and bottles at the ministry and broke the window of a nearby bank.

As poverty continues to grow and government handouts continue to get cut back, the desperation of those living in poverty in this country is going to continue to increase.
At this moment, there are 6 million Americans in the 16 to 24-year-old age group that are neither in school or working. In fact, a whole bunch of major U.S. cities currently have more than 100,000 “idle youth” living in them…

Just look at some of the nation’s largest cities. Chicago, Houston, Dallas, Miami, Philadelphia, New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Riverside, Calif., all have more than 100,000 idle youth, the Opportunity Nation report found.

It is only a matter of time until we see massive riots and huge crime waves in many of those cities.
The conditions for a “perfect storm” are already here.
All we need is a spark.
According to a brand new Pew Research survey, only 19 percent of all Americans trust the government. Back in 1958, 73 percent of all Americans trusted the government.
Right now, only 23 percent of all Americans have a favorable view of Congress. Back in 1985, 67 percent of all Americans did.
Anger and frustration are growing and our society is breaking down all around us.
Get ready while you still can.


http://freedomoutpost.com/2013/10/47...-november-1st/

Uh Oh: 47 Million Food Stamp Recipients Are Having Their Benefits Cut Back On November 1st

By Michael Snyder, on October 21st, 2013

47.6 million Americans are about to have their food stamp benefits cut, and most of them have absolutely no idea that it is about to happen. Needless to say, a lot of them are going to be very angry when they discover that they cannot buy as much food for their families anymore. The reason that this is happening is because a temporary boost to food stamp benefits that was put in during the last recession is expiring. But most of the people that are having their benefits cut will not understand this. Most of them will just be very upset that the government is “taking money away” from them. And considering the “mini-riots” that we witnessed earlier this month when the system that processes food stamp payments went down for a few hours, it is obvious that a lot of food stamp recipients can very easily be pushed over the edge. So what would happen if we have another “debt ceiling crisis” in Washington D.C. early next year and food stamp benefits are temporarily cut off completely?
Wherever “austerity” has been tried in Europe, it has resulted in protests and riots. Could a similar thing happen in this country?
NBC News is reporting that ALL food stamp recipients are going to have their food stamp benefits reduced in November. This is certainly not going to put those living in poverty in a good mood…

Millions of American families could face a sparse holiday table when food stamps benefits get reduced in November, and that could be just the start of deeper cuts to the program to feed poor families.
The modern-day food stamp plan, now called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, is scheduled toscale back benefits for all recipients on Nov. 1 because a recession-era boost in benefits is expiring.

Sadly, the truth is that food stamp benefits don’t even buy a lot of food right now. According to the USDA, the average monthly food stamp benefit is approximately $272 per household.
And now it will be even lower.
The government says that a family of four will be getting 36 dollars less per month starting on November 1st.
That may not sound like a lot to you, but for those living on the edge of poverty it can make a huge difference.
What are impoverished families supposed to do? Eat a diet that consists entirely of Ramen noodles?
Of course the real solution would be to provide good paying jobs for those families, but unfortunately our leaders continue to pursue policies that are systematically killing American jobs so that is not going to happen.
Meanwhile, those living in poverty continue to become angrier and more frustrated.
We got a glimpse of this earlier this month. The following is a brief excerpt from a recent article posted on offgridsurvival.com…

Over the weekend, the debit system that allows people on government assistance to buy food, temporarily went down. The resulting chaos is a small glimpse at what I believe will happen, should the government plunge this country into some sort of economic collapse.
A couple of Walmarts in Louisiana decided to allow people to shop, even though the system was down and they had no real way of knowing how much credit people had on their cards. The resulting chaos had the store’s shelves in Springhill and Mansfield, LA stripped bare, as food stamp recipients attempted to defraud the grocery stores.
When the system went back online, the grocery store found people who had as little as .49 on their Food Stamp cards attempting to steal over $700 in food. Local police were called in as the crowd started to turn ugly, and overflowing grocery carts were left abandoned in the aisles.

You can watch a video news report about what happened at these Wal-Mart stores right here…

But this is just the beginning. To get an idea of what is eventually coming to America, just check out what is happening in Italy right now…

Demonstrators clashed with Italian police on Saturday as tens of thousands marched through Rome to protest against unemployment, government cuts and big construction projects they say take money away from social services.
Hooded protesters turned over garbage bins in front of the Economy Ministry and set several of them on fire. Using sticks and clubs, they attacked police in riot gear. The police charged and chased demonstrators up side streets.
The hooded demonstrators, who infiltrated a mostly peaceful protest, threw smoke bombs, eggs and bottles at the ministry and broke the window of a nearby bank.

As poverty continues to grow and government handouts continue to get cut back, the desperation of those living in poverty in this country is going to continue to increase.
At this moment, there are 6 million Americans in the 16 to 24-year-old age group that are neither in school or working. In fact, a whole bunch of major U.S. cities currently have more than 100,000 “idle youth” living in them…

Just look at some of the nation’s largest cities. Chicago, Houston, Dallas, Miami, Philadelphia, New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Riverside, Calif., all have more than 100,000 idle youth, the Opportunity Nation report found.

It is only a matter of time until we see massive riots and huge crime waves in many of those cities.
The conditions for a “perfect storm” are already here.
All we need is a spark.
According to a brand new Pew Research survey, only 19 percent of all Americans trust the government. Back in 1958, 73 percent of all Americans trusted the government.
Right now, only 23 percent of all Americans have a favorable view of Congress. Back in 1985, 67 percent of all Americans did.
Anger and frustration are growing and our society is breaking down all around us.
Get ready while you still can.

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http://endoftheamericandream.com/arc...n-november-1st

When you get your Welfare Benefits cut... you Better point the Finger at the Politicians that advertised in MEXICO for FREE SHIT that helped break the system and REDUCE / END your free ride. I for one will paint it florescent to remind all of the DUMB ASS's how DUMB they are for voting for the Free Shit for the World Politicians

Until they are desperate

DHS Spending $80 Million in Mass Hiring of Agents for “Civil Disturbances” -Bid From Fed

Posted by: Michelle Wright Posted date: October 22, 2013 In: News

While government spending is out of control and the nation sits without a budget for the 5th year, Federal Protective Services is sub-contracting $80 million in security forces labor to independent businesses. While most would be happy to see taxpayer dollars being funneled back in to the private sector, one should wonder what is on the Horizon that they would be doing a mass hiring of armed guards?

Actual Bid Posting from Federal Site:

The Federal Protective Service (FPS) is the Federal Law Enforcement and Security Organization responsible for the Protection and Security of Federal Buildings, Property, and Personnel across the Nation. The FPS operations focus on Law Enforcement and reduction of Federal Facility vulnerabilities to criminal and terrorist threats as well as accidental and natural hazards, while ensuring that Public Facilities are safe, secure, and remain available as a vital part of everyday American life. FPS currently performs all necessary Security and Law Enforcement functions at nearly 9,000 federally owned and leased locations throughout the United States and its territories.

The Federal Protective Service (FPS) is conducting Market Research to locate qualified, experienced, and interested potential Small Business Sources capable of providing Protective Security Officers (PSO) Services throughout Upstate New York. A PSO is the equivalent of an Armed Guard II as set forth in the Department of Labor (DOL) Directory of Occupations. The information requested by this Sources Sought may be used within FPS to facilitate Acquisition Planning and will not be disclosed outside of the Government.

This acquisition is for approximately 380,000 hours of Basic Service, 20,000 hours of Temporary Additional Services and 3,500 hours of Emergency Security Services per year. Currently, there are an estimated 205 guards protecting approximately 95 posts at over 55 buildings. The estimated value of this Contract is between $75M and $80M.


http://freepatriot.org/2013/10/22/dh...ances-bid-fed/

I want to see what would happen if they kept the same amount for food stamps but instead made it so you could ONLY use food stamps at major grocery stores. No fast food places, no mini marts, no alcohol shops that sell like 2 non alcoholic items. Straight and out grocery stores. Maybe even take out candy and soda also.

‘SNAP’ Benefits To Be Cut In November

October 23, 2013 by Bob Livingston

PHOTOS.COM

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (food stamps) will scale back benefits for individual families by about 13 percent each beginning in November.
We recently got a taste of how the food stamp army reacts when its government handouts are delayed for a few moments. It will be interesting to see if the same reaction occurs when it realizes the average family’s monthly payment will drop from $275 per month to $239.

The food stamp army is about 48 million people strong. People get desperate when they get hungry. If they get hungry enough, they will begin stealing and pillaging for food wherever they can find it.

Given that most of them are distracted by various activities on their Obamaphones or some trivial television pursuit, most of them won’t know the benefit reduction is coming until they can suddenly buy fewer of their processed food staples and other poisons.

The Barack Obama Administration has been doing all it can to grow the food stamp rolls in order to gain greater control over the people. Like Obamacare, the food stamps program is not about helping the needy. It is about exerting greater control over the lives of Americans. It was the globalist Bilderberger Henry Kissinger who once said, “If you control the food supply, you control the people.”

The regime has taken Kissinger’s statement to heart.

Filed Under: Freedom Watch, Hot Topics


http://personalliberty.com/2013/10/2...t-in-november/

Craigslist makes turning food stamps into cash a SNAP

By Perry Chiaramonte
Published October 22, 2013FoxNews.com

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Food stamp recipients are turning the government handouts into quick cash with ads on Craigslist, despite efforts to stem fraud.
The federally-funded grocery assistance coupons -- which are issued by states in the form of debit cards under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) -- are being sold on the online bulletin board as well as auction sites like eBay. FoxNews.com found several offerings at Craigslist sites around the country, where the sellers offered the welfare benefits at large discounts from face value.

"I have food stamps for sale..... Serious Replies only!!!"

- Craigslist ad

“If you need food. This is not a gimmick or game,” read one posting from Philadelphia. “Please let me know, I have food stamps for sale..... Serious Replies only!!!”
“I have $500 worth and it costs $350 cash. No I will not do half!” read another posting from the Atlanta area. “I don't need to sell. If you would like to get an extra $150 to $175 in grocery and pay no taxes and can see the benefit that you will still be saving then email me or call me and we can arrange the whole deal as soon as you like.”
Those who are desperately hungry are also taking to the website, offering cash for the stamps.
“DO YOU NEED SOME QUICK CASH?? -- $100 (atlanta),” read the title of one such post, under which the buyer offered: "If you get Food Stamps and need some extra cash then hit me asap,” reads the post.
In another posting from the Trenton, N.J., area, the seller claims that he will have a $100 EBT card available on Nov. 1 for $60.
Contacted by FoxNews.com and asked about the legality of such a transaction, the seller cryptically responded: "Lol are u serious is the govt legal of course but I hve a customer Good day [sic]."
The coupons are not supposed to be transferred, and Craigslist's policy lists them among the items that are not allowed to be sold or bartered on the site. But unless someone flags such a post, there's little the sites, which operate in small, medium and large markets around the country, can do. Critics suspect sellers either don't need them any more because they have found work, or simply want to exchange them for cash so that they can buy drugs or other items that are not permitted under the rules of the program.
"Fraud and abuse do take place in the food stamps program," Rachel Sheffield, policy analyst, Heritage Foundation's DeVos Center for Religion and Civil Society said to FoxNews.com. "There are other types of fraud that also are problematic, such as recipients receiving excess benefits by failing to report a new job or an increase in their earnings.
"To reduce this type of fraud, states should be required to cross-check the food stamp rolls against the National Directory of New Hires. Those who have failed to inform the food stamp office of new employment should have their benefits suspended."
Sheffield also suggests that adults recipients should be required to re-certify for the assistance program every three months to help prevent widespread fraud.
Nearly 50 million Americans are on the food stamp program, which has exploded over the last five years, more than doubling the cost to taxpayers. The Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards are issued to needy citizens who qualify, and then replenished each month with buying power. Because the cards do not include a photo ID, a recipient who is looking to sell his or her benefits for cash can simply do so and then report them stolen or lost and be issued a replacement. They could also charge a buyer much more, and never report the card as missing, effectively transferring their entitlement benefits for cash.
In May of 2012, the USDA attempted to curb the practice by giving individual states more authority to investigate residents who request multiple replacements of SNAP and EBT cards. Those who requested more than four replacements in a year would have to explain why they lost cards, and could face being cut off completely.
“The U.S. Department of Agriculture has zero tolerance for SNAP fraud," a USDA spokesperson said in a statement to FoxNews.com. "We recently provided stronger tools to help State agencies—responsible for pursuing recipient fraud—crack down on individuals attempting to sell benefits online. In addition, since 2011, we have worked with online marketplaces, including Craigslist, to better monitor and put a stop to the illegal sale of SNAP benefits. USDA encourages anyone that has information regarding potential recipient fraud to report this information to the USDA Office of the Inspector General or to their State agency.”
With one in every seven Americans on food stamps -- up a million since June of last year -- the impetus to cut down on fraud is rising. According to reports, nearly 850,000 people were investigated for possible SNAP fraud in the United States and 1,200 stores were permanently removed from the food stamp program for illegal conduct.
"Since 2008, the cost of SNAP has more than doubled from $34 billion to $74 billion," according to Rep. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D. who said in a recent press release that the Obama administration has allowed food stamp enrollment to explode, even beyond what an ailing economy might account for, in part by not pressing states to crack down on eligibility requirements.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/10/22...nto-cash-snap/