Food Stamp Glitch at Walmart

[a6m5]

Word quickly spread in the Louisiana towns of Springhill and Mansfield that a food stamp glitch was giving recipients an unlimited balance on their Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards, causing two local Wal-Marts to be completely ransacked on Saturday night.

When Wal-Mart employees noticed that EBT cards weren’t showing limits, they called the corporate office and were advised to allow shoppers to use the cards anyway.

“We did make the decision to continue to accept EBT cards during the outage so that they could get food for their families,” Wal-Mart representative Kayla Whaling told KSLA-TV...............


...............Over the course of two hours, frenzied shoppers filled their carts with everything they could get their hands on, but when the cards came back online at 9 p.m., people abandoned their carts and left, the Daily Mail reported.

Wal-Mart employees could still be seen cleaning up the mess as late as Sunday afternoon. link

Talk about biting the hand that feeds you..... and after they weren't able to STEAL more from the tax payers, they just left carts & carts full of stuff behind, so they can have somebody else clean up the mess they made.

Not sure what to make of the Walmart's decision to keep accepting the card, but I don't think they were qualified to make the call on something like that anyway.

These people are disgusting. 👎

 

[Omnis]

Hey, that's how the grocery store looked in the USSR.

If you don't pay taxes, EBT is theft no matter how much it's used.

 

[dr_slump]

The ones that purchased unusual amounts of food, will they be punished? Those transactions must be registred somewhere. The ones that exploited that error actually broke the law, at least if you had done this here where I live. I'm sadly not familiar with the US law.

Or can't they because everybody is too ashamed to be those "evil" persons who want to punish those "poor" people?


EDIT: Who does actually get those cards? I know what the card is for and how it works, but who gets one? Poor people?

 

[nk4e]

EDIT: Who does actually get those cards? I know what the card is for and how it works, but who gets one? Poor people?

The "needy" get EBT ( or SNAP in California) it ranges from low-income families to middle class families. College students tend to get them depending on their monthly salary.

 

[Jubby]

Who does actually get those cards? I know what the card is for and how it works, but who gets one? Poor people?

It's based on income, dependency, and family support. Usually people making below the poverty line, or families that make very little money. So, in short, poor people.

nk4e: SNAP is the program that is provided by the Feds, states call it different things- there is no logical reason why. Most people just call it the EBT card, since most states (not sure if all yet) put the cash benefits on them too.

 

[nk4e]

True, I forget what SNAP stands for everytime I am at work.

 

[XS]

My ex worked at a grocery store (Acme) and I was waiting with her to finish her shift when she checked out a customer who bought some food items, a 6 pack of beer, and two packs cigarettes and used food stamps/EBT card to get everything. I asked her if the customer had to pay out-of-pocket for the cigarettes and beer and she said that, at least in Ohio, two packs of cigarettes and up to a 12 pack of beer was covered....daily. I know a lot of smokers and drinkers who don't burn through that much tobacco and beer daily, yet the system covers it for the "needy", unbelievable.....

 

[a6m5]

Jesus......

I don't even like Oregon Trail Card(I think it's same thing as food stamps) being used at convenience stores. I hope our card doesn't buy drinks & smokes at the expense of us, the taxpayers........ we aren't exactly millionaires either, I hope they know that!

 

[Omnis]

It does. And it buys lobster for beach bums too.

 

[Northstar]

I really don't get why EBT isn't set up like WIC where all you get is what's printed on the voucher(i.e. 1 Gallon milk, 1 loaf of bread etc.).

 

[a6m5]

Surfer loser seemed phony, but the story does get the point across.

Like Justin, I also wondered why it couldn't be set up to serve only the necessities. I don't know, I'm no expert on welfare or unemployment, so maybe I'm missing something.....

 

[RocZX]

Nothing new people have been exploiting the system for how long it's been around. Once in while they have news coverage on it, they say they going to change things so people can't do it anymore and really nothing is actually changed and the people just continue exploiting it.

 

[nk4e]

Pending on State, it really limits on what you buy ( unless you change it at the register). There was two days were EBT was offline for the State of California ( probably for most grocery stores and some big box retails. I know that Target was one of them).

 

[Pako]

Disgusting!

 

[Nicksfix]

So we can blame Wal-Mart for letting this get out of hand.

Managers with the Wal-Mart in Louisiana were aware of the problem and knew they had the right to refuse service, however they said they contacted Wal-Mart headquarters and were told to accept the cards, despite the system being down.

Article

I understand that Xerox had a glitch, but Wal-Mart should have followed protocol.

 

[Crash]

The ones that purchased unusual amounts of food, will they be punished? Those transactions must be registred somewhere. The ones that exploited that error actually broke the law, at least if you had done this here where I live. I'm sadly not familiar with the US law.

Or can't they because everybody is too ashamed to be those "evil" persons who want to punish those "poor" people?

It probably comes down to what Walmart does. If Walmart eats the losses, then nothing happens; it's as if a grocery store decided to hand out free food. That is on the grocery store. However, if they do forward their losses to the government expecting payment, then either they'll get laughed at in the face, or what the people did would be considered illegal.

--

I bet Walmart is just going to eat the loss. Let's be honest, a mistake like this is nothing to their bottom line, and the resulting public relations mess if they tried to recoup that money would hurt them more than this monetary loss.

 

[LeMansAid]

When people take advantage of faulty bank machines, they're hunted down where possible, and expected to make good.

 

[dr_slump]

When people take advantage of faulty bank machines, they're hunted down where possible, and expected to make good.

That's pretty much what I meant. 👍

 

[Johnnypenso]

It probably comes down to what Walmart does. If Walmart eats the losses, then nothing happens; it's as if a grocery store decided to hand out free food. That is on the grocery store. However, if they do forward their losses to the government expecting payment, then either they'll get laughed at in the face, or what the people did would be considered illegal.

I bet Walmart is just going to eat the loss. Let's be honest, a mistake like this is nothing to their bottom line, and the resulting public relations mess if they tried to recoup that money would hurt them more than this monetary loss.

If Walmart had refused customers this is what would have run in the liberal media:

"Giant Corporation that Makes Billions in Profits Forces Poor People to Confront Starvation Because of a Government Error Beyond Their Control"​

Quotes and accompanying video would have included, with a straight face, various obese and toothless people with small children and carts packed to overflowing with pop-tarts, hoho's, ding dongs and gallons of soda, wailing and in tears that they kids will have to go to school hungry because of evil Walmart. Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson would have declared Walmart racist if one black person is involved. Democrats would jump on the bandwagon and suggest or actually propose legislation that prevents giant corporations from refusing food stamps even if the system is down.

To avoid all that, Walmart honoured the cards yesterday and will ask for the money, but doesn't really care if they get it so long as they avoid the worst of the publicity.

 

[Danoff]

...and this is what happens when things are given away for free.

This is why we had fuel rationing in the 70s (price of gas was held artificially too low), and it is why food, healthcare, and every other commodity must have a price that reflect both supply and demand. Break that balance and you get people ransacking the shelves.

 

[Jubby]

I really don't get why EBT isn't set up like WIC where all you get is what's printed on the voucher(i.e. 1 Gallon milk, 1 loaf of bread etc.).

Like Justin, I also wondered why it couldn't be set up to serve only the necessities. I don't know, I'm no expert on welfare or unemployment, so maybe I'm missing something.....

I love this idea, but I'm sure you do NOT want to wait in THAT line. You know for some folks, it'll take 3-5 times as long for them to checkout. They'll have to hire more people, raise prices... yadda yadda. It's bad enough that some WIC and EBT (including food stamps) people don't understand those simplistic programs. Imagine adding in provisions of what you can/can not get.

 

[Joel]

Does EBT have different amounts based on family size? Because otherwise wouldn't it make sense to only allow the shoppers to buy the maximum amount of EBT credit?

 

[nk4e]

Does EBT have different amounts based on family size? Because otherwise wouldn't it make sense to only allow the shoppers to buy the maximum amount of EBT credit?

I think it also includes income. ( pending on state)

For households to receive CalFresh benefits they must provide certain information in the following areas:

• Citizenship/Immigration Status
• Income
• Reporting Changes
• Resources
• Work Requirements

 

[Joel]

Ah I see. Guess it makes sense that a single mother with 12 kids and no job gets more food stamps than a single freelance writer.

 

[Jubby]

Ah I see. Guess it makes sense that a single mother with 12 kids and no job gets more food stamps than a single freelance writer.

*Puts finger on nose and points at it*

 

[Crash]

If Walmart had refused customers this is what would have run in the liberal media:

"Giant Corporation that Makes Billions in Profits Forces Poor People to Confront Starvation Because of a Government Error Beyond Their Control"​

Quotes and accompanying video would have included, with a straight face, various obese and toothless people with small children and carts packed to overflowing with pop-tarts, hoho's, ding dongs and gallons of soda, wailing and in tears that they kids will have to go to school hungry because of evil Walmart. Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson would have declared Walmart racist if one black person is involved. Democrats would jump on the bandwagon and suggest or actually propose legislation that prevents giant corporations from refusing food stamps even if the system is down.

To avoid all that, Walmart honoured the cards yesterday and will ask for the money, but doesn't really care if they get it so long as they avoid the worst of the publicity.

Oh, I totally agree with you. As much as I personally don't like shopping at Walmart, they would have had a publicity nightmare if they didn't just went ahead and accepted it. It's disgusting, this whole affair.

 

[hogger129]

Why are there even food stamps? What ever happened to getting a job in order to make ends meet? I guess in this day and age, you can sit on your butt and do nothing because the successful are forced to pay for you. I'll be glad when all these welfare programs get gutted and all these people have to work for a living.

 

[Sanji Himura]

One word, (hyper)inflation. Because Nixon took us off the gold standard, the intricate value of the dollar has gotten worse since then.

Since 2008, the national debt has increased by roughly 7 trillion dollars today from $10 trillion in 2008. What was the cause though? The stimulus for starters, and QE 1, 2, and 3, all of which was designed to help "move the economy", but it fell flat on its face and only added to the debt. Heck, the only reason why the Dow Jones Industrial Average is above 15,000 right now is because the treasury is injecting the markets with what is essentially a long term bailout. What happens when that money stops? You get above 8 percent unemployment, riots in the street, the whole bit.

To prevent that, the government offers food stamps to help ease the financial obligations to multi-children families.

 

[phillgt2002]

Why are there even food stamps? What ever happened to getting a job in order to make ends meet? I guess in this day and age, you can sit on your butt and do nothing because the successful are forced to pay for you. I'll be glad when all these welfare programs get gutted and all these people have to work for a living.

Dude, life isn't always fair. Some people aren't as fortunate to have a solid source of income. There will be people that take advantage advantage of systems made to help others.

 

[Müle]

Why are there even food stamps? What ever happened to getting a job in order to make ends meet? I guess in this day and age, you can sit on your butt and do nothing because the successful are forced to pay for you. I'll be glad when all these welfare programs get gutted and all these people have to work for a living.

You are aware that people exist who actually try to find a job but either can't, or can only find a $7 an hour job that doesn't pay for anything?

Let me guess, you support eliminating the minimum wage, too?

Since I've joined this forum, I've become a lot less of a leftie, but support systems for those who lose their job are one thing I still agree with.