Yes, in a way. My understanding is that in the US instead of giving less fortunate people the money to buy what they need they get given tokens which can only be used for specific types of items. Obviously it’d be a lot cheaper to skip that extra admin cost and give the money directly instead of maintaining an entirely separate type of currency, but you can’t trust those filthy poors to know what they need. And hygiene products are one thing they don’t need, apparently.
The name is old, it used to be actual stamps in a booklet. It’s a restricted use debit card now. So you can buy eggs with it but not a music CD. Still pretty degrading.
The actual program name is snap but everyone still just calls it food stamps and I’m pretty sure now food stamps are just handed out as cash on prepaid debit cards. I think there some categories that you can’t use snap benefits to buy, like anything alcohol or cigarettes, but other than that I think it’s pretty much a free for all.
There are other programs like WIC that I think do give out very specific benefits but those are laser focused on certain groups.
I’m far from an expert on this stuff I’ve never used snap or any of the other food assistance programs in the states.
It’s a thing (or used to be a thing) in Australia too: a voucher or prepaid debit card that can only be used to buy food, given to low-income residents.
Australia actually has a proper safety net for low-income residents though, with public health care and monthly payments from the government if you’re unemployed and looking for a job, or you’re a child / young adult and your parents are low income, or a few other cases.
What is a food card, and food stamps? Is this some kind of US-only dystopia?
Yes, in a way. My understanding is that in the US instead of giving less fortunate people the money to buy what they need they get given tokens which can only be used for specific types of items. Obviously it’d be a lot cheaper to skip that extra admin cost and give the money directly instead of maintaining an entirely separate type of currency, but you can’t trust those filthy poors to know what they need. And hygiene products are one thing they don’t need, apparently.
The name is old, it used to be actual stamps in a booklet. It’s a restricted use debit card now. So you can buy eggs with it but not a music CD. Still pretty degrading.
What’s a CD? /s
The actual program name is snap but everyone still just calls it food stamps and I’m pretty sure now food stamps are just handed out as cash on prepaid debit cards. I think there some categories that you can’t use snap benefits to buy, like anything alcohol or cigarettes, but other than that I think it’s pretty much a free for all.
There are other programs like WIC that I think do give out very specific benefits but those are laser focused on certain groups.
I’m far from an expert on this stuff I’ve never used snap or any of the other food assistance programs in the states.
It’s a thing (or used to be a thing) in Australia too: a voucher or prepaid debit card that can only be used to buy food, given to low-income residents.
Australia actually has a proper safety net for low-income residents though, with public health care and monthly payments from the government if you’re unemployed and looking for a job, or you’re a child / young adult and your parents are low income, or a few other cases.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supplemental_Nutrition_Assistance_Program
It’s a social safety net thing which I think Lemmy is usually in favor of
I am not debating on the positive outcome of it… I simply never heard of it.