CSNbbs

I can't wait for the libs here to whine about these people not being able to buy lingerie with their welfare debit cards. The inhumanity of it all....


BATON ROUGE, La. – Louisiana welfare recipients will be prohibited from spending the federal assistance at lingerie shops, tattoo parlors, nail salons and jewelry stores, under new limits enacted by state social services officials.

The Department of Children and Family Services announced the emergency regulations late Thursday. They cover the Family Independence Temporary Assistance Program — commonly known as welfare benefits — and the Kinship Care Subsidy Program.

Both programs pay cash assistance to low-income families for items like food, clothing and housing.

DCFS Secretary Suzy Sonnier said the agency decided to ban the use of electronic benefit cards, which work as debit cards, at stores that don't sell items that are considered basic needs for families.

"This rule will not affect families who currently use the program as intended, which is to provide food, shelter and clothing for families," Sonnier said in a statement.

About 3,500 households in Louisiana receive welfare benefits, and about 2,400 households get kinship care subsidies, according to the department. Average payments are $192 per month for welfare and $419 a month for kinship care.

The emergency regulations come a week after WAFB-TV in Baton Rouge reported that an Ascension Parish lingerie store posted a sign noting that it accepted the welfare benefits card along with most credit cards.

Also barred in the latest restrictions from taking welfare debit cards are video arcades, bail bond companies, cruise ships, psychics, adult-entertainment businesses, nightclubs, bars and any businesses where minors are not allowed.

Violators of the new regulations will stop receiving welfare benefits for a year for a first offense, two years for a second offense and permanently for a third offense, according to the social services department.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/03/...e-jewelry/

It's about time someone did something positive with this problem. Jindal for president.

I love this. Enforcement is going to be difficult and I'm willing to bet sympathetic lawyers and judges find ways to get around the bans, but something clearly needs to be done on a nationwide basis.

If the govt would just stamp out the fraud it could use the savings to actually fund the program so that folks that actually need it could take advantage of it.

I'm all for welfare reform. If there is a way for people to spend their welfare on lingerie then something needs to be done about that.

Handing out cash is the real problem in my opinion.

(03-22-2014 11:43 PM)HeartOfDixie Wrote: [ -> ]Handing out cash is the real problem in my opinion.

This and they should ACTUALLY place limits on the number of years you can remain on these programs.

didn't the article specifically say debit cards?

(03-22-2014 11:50 PM)Fitbud Wrote: [ -> ]didn't the article specifically say debit cards?

YOu can use EBT cards to withdraw cash.

(03-22-2014 11:57 PM)pharaoh0 Wrote: [ -> ]

(03-22-2014 11:50 PM)Fitbud Wrote: [ -> ]didn't the article specifically say debit cards?

YOu can use EBT cards to withdraw cash.

I wouldn't have a problem with the card being "fixed" so that you cannot withdraw cash.