noticed a girl in front of me at the convenience store use her Lone Star card to buy beer. is this allowed or are both buyer and seller skirting the system somehow?

if indeed illegal, i have no problem calling the state on the store at least (dont know the buyer).

http://www.hhsc.state.tx.us/providers/LoneStar/EBT/EBThowto.html#What_can_I_buy_with_my_Card

quote:

---

What can I buy with my Lone Star Card?

If you get food benefits:

You can buy food, seeds and plants at stores approved by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The seeds and plants are used to grow food for your household to eat.

You cannot use food benefits to buy:

○ Beer, wine, liquor, cigarettes or tobacco;
○ Any non-food items (For example, pet foods, soaps, paper products, and household supplies);
○ Vitamins and medicines;
○ Food that will be eaten in the store;
○ Hot foods.

If you get TANF benefits:

You can buy only goods and services your family needs at places that accept the Lone Star Card. You may make purchases or take out cash from your account to buy any items you need, such as:

○ Food
○ Clothes
○ Rent or Mortgage
○ Utilities (gas, water, electricity, etc.)
○ Furniture
○ Transportation (bus passes, gas, etc.)
○ Phone
○ Laundry
○ Equipment and supplies for the house (toilet paper, cleaning supplies, etc.)

---

[This message has been edited by fcag (edited 6/1/2011 6:14p).]

I've seen a couple buy beer from Kroger with their cards....yes... cards...

I thought that when they scan in those cards, it was supposed to automatically kick out anything that's not covered, same as how health flex cards automatically kick out anything not covered by them when you use one of those at a drugstore.

Not legal. Report the incident to the state. That is definitely fraud on their part.

I'm shocked, shocked to find that there is misuse of government handouts.

Sounds like the clerk rang the beer up as a food purchase.

It won't be allowed in the system at grocery stores because their registers keep everything seperated by category as it is being rung up.

The gas stations are different. They can ring up any purchase under food, misc., grocery, etc.

It is wrong and illegal. But the convenience store does get paid through the food stamp card so they are just looking out for an extra buck. It would be very hard to catch them as they would have to be caught in action- but it would be a very expensive lesson to learn. I would call and report what you saw.

They might be using a LoneStar debit card. I think some people have one LS card for food, and another for all other purchases. When I was a cashier, a women purchased dog food on her LS debit card.

I think that unemployment payments are made to a Lone Star card. An unemployed person I know said that they transfer the money off their card into a checking account to keep from appearing to be on welfare when at the store.

I went to a convenience store last week and saw these 2 ladies buying beer and it looked like about $20 worth of candy with their lone star card. I was thinking you could only use it to buy necessities.

quote:

---

I think that unemployment payments are made to a Lone Star card. An unemployed person I know said that they transfer the money off their card into a checking account to keep from appearing to be on welfare when at the store.

---

Unemployment is paid out to a Chase debit card (just as if you had an account with them) or directly to your bank account. (Just as Social Security will be in the upcoming future.) You can spend the funds as needed.

We have called the welfare office with this very question. I was checking a customer out who had beer with their other items. Usually the register takes the lonestar card and leaves a remainder for items not covered. I thought this would be the case with the beer, but the entire transaction went through on the card.

After the customer left my manager called and was told that there are different types of accounts that can be set up. If the user is on straight welfare then they can only purchase the allowed items. But if the user contributes a % of the fund on the card (like if they had some type of job) then they can use the funds on the card however they want, and even get cash back.

Yes, its frustrating to watch people use their lonestar cards for junk food and candy, and then pull out cash for their cigarettes. The only way to change it is for the law makers to get a clue and realize how many people are using the system out of greed and laziness, and not for the intended purpose of getting back on their feet.

[This message has been edited by AggieAces06 (edited 6/2/2011 1:48a).]

Y'all worker harder. Folks need your money.

Surely you saw something incorrectly.

I cannot imagine a person receiving a government handout of my tax dollars abusing this card. Each card recipient is strenuously examined in the application process and only people who will be good stewards of our tax dollars for a short time of hardship are accepted into the program.

##STOPGOVERNMENTHANDOUTS

##EVERYONEPAYFORTHEIROWNSTUFF

Once upon a time, I had to be on welfare and received Lone Star benefits ( only bc it was absolutely needed), it makes me mad to know ppl are using those benefits for alcoholic purchases!! A person should only apply for assistance that is needed and when the service is no longer needed, remove themselfs from the program. Does this ever happen yes ( I know bc thats what I did ) but is it common practice no way. IMO it is taking away from others that need the service but can't receive it.

When I worked as a cashier in a grocery store, I often saw people pay for food with the Lone Star card's food function then pay for non-food items on what they described as a debit card type function with the same card.

According to this website, the Lone Star card is used to distribute both food and cash benefits. There is probably nothing nefarious going on.

http://www.hhsc.state.tx.us/providers/lonestar/EBT/EBThowto.html#What_can_I_buy_with_my_Card

People often pay for their actual food with food stamps (now Lonestar Card) and WIC, making sure to save their cash for cigs, booze, movies, video games, etc.

I saw this all the time back in the day working at a grocery store.

Child support payments can be made to a Lone Star card.