Can people buy alcohol and cigarette with Food Stamps?
By doingit4fun
@doingit4fun (917)
United States
February 6, 2007 9:54pm CST
I was in grocery line yesterday and saw somebody paying with Food Stamps and she had alcohol and cigarettes in her cart. I felt very angry about the waste of our hard earned tax money. I am not sure if she paid cash for the alcohol and cigarettes though. Do you think they allow the food stamps to be spent on alcohol?
5 people like this
7 responses
@berlynn1975 (737)
• United States
7 Feb 07
I'm assuming you're speaking of the US. I really think that people cannot. I think it may have been up there with the food items, but the computer would separate that out and she'd have a balance left over that she'd have to pay on her own.
4 people like this
@mikeyr6000le (2123)
• United States
7 Feb 07
Here in Iowa they can not. I don't think they can in other states either but I could be wrong. I think with food stamps you can only buy non taxed items. I don't think you can even buy toilet paper.
3 people like this
@sweetdesign (5142)
• United States
12 Feb 07
No you cannot buy non food items or hot food (prepared deli foods restuarants) with food stamps. However if this person recieves cash benefits like TANF, SS Disability, SSA or SSI, then they go on the same EBT card and the computer will seperate the charges and the food will go on food stamps and anything else will be deducted from their balance on their cash benefits. If the person has children not recieving child support and the state is paying that support instead of the father then those benefits are put on that same EBT card also. hope this answered your question.
1 person likes this
@ladygator (3465)
• United States
8 Feb 07
No they cant buy that with food stamps. But if they get a cash grant then they could, but food stamps money can only be spent on food.
1 person likes this
@wiccania (3360)
• United States
20 Jul 07
You can't in Colorado. Well, I'm sure there are ways to get around the system, but it's not allowed.
You also can't hygiene products, cleaning products, toilet paper, paper towels or any other non-food items (not even ones that are pretty essential) with food stamps.
@bellaofchaos (11538)
• United States
5 Jan 08
I know that where I live in the u.s. they have what you call an ebt card and it has both your food and cash if you get cash on it. You are no longer able with foodstamps to buy taxable items. You are only allowed to get cold foods you can not purchase anything that would be considered a hot food. Such as a roast chicken from the deli. Now they have registers that can seperate food from non food. Hope this was helpful.
1 person likes this
@cloud_kicker_32 (4635)
• United States
25 Feb 07
No there is no way you can..when i was first hurt from work, and waiting for disability..i had to use stamps.and they make u watch a video..and even on the video it shows that its not aloud at all and that they have special bar codes on them that makes the stamp card reject them..so they had to pay for them with cash..hope iw as some help to ya..:)
