Once or twice, is there really a difference?
Published 6:50 am Wednesday, April 2, 2008
By Staff
For many who receive food assistance from the state, the last two weeks of before their card activates is a long wait.
As soon as the money is in the account, they purchase needed items and often the money is depleted until the next month.
The Michigan Department of Human Services is considering having the distribution of benefits changed from once a month to twice a month, for those receiving more than $100 a month.
Food assistance benefits are activated electronically on a debit-type card in one of the first nine days of the month, depending on their case number. The new legislation would change distribution to twice monthly, once each in the beginning and middle of the month.
Part of the rational for the change would be to encourage more fresh fruit and vegetables in the clients diets spread throughout the month.
Out of the 586,000 cases with 1.2 million receiving food assistance in the state, this change would affect about 457,000 cases or 78 percent of the current caseload.
The department conducted a survey of some of its clients on whether they would like this change.
This was then sent to a national firm to tabulate the results and return its findings to Michigan in April.
What these people really could have used was the money spent on this unnecessary survey. The benefits are not enough to feed a recipient or family for an entire month.
Whether they purchase more when the card is activated or wait until the end of the month isn't a question of what they would prefer – it is out of necessity.
The average benefit per person is greater than $99 and about $230 per family. Anyone who has shopped recently knows the price of food has risen with the staples of fresh produce, milk and bread leading the list.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture pays for 100 percent of the programs known by most as food stamps, with the state and federal governments sharing administrative costs. Department of Human Services' staff persons statewide determine eligibility for applicants and perform case management.
You have to wonder just how much money which could go toward actual benefits is wasted by ideas such as this survey.