Shame at the grocery check-out line: Georgia SNAP and WIC recipients report their experiences

The distressing news story from the Atlantic Journal-Constitution below, flagged by the Food Research Action Center, comes out of the state of Georgia. We would very much like to know if you are hearing of similar store check out experiences in Massachusetts for either SNAP or WIC participants.

With respect to EBT photo cards, sadly we have heard from a number of MA SNAP recipients that - as a result of photo EBT - other members of their SNAP household are no longer using the EBT card to shop for fear of being carded at the check out line. Federal law says all household members can use EBT card and that retailers are not allowed to inspect it - unless they photo ID all debit and credit customers. We have also heard from a few seniors - whose SNAP benefits have been taken "off line" for lack of use - that one reason they could not timely use their SNAP benefits is due to friends and neighbors refusing to help b/c of the MA photo EBT changes. Again, retailers are not allowed to look at the EBT cards! For more on photo EBT and recipient rights, click HERE.

We hope SNAP Coalition members will closely track any and all abuses by Massachusetts grocers or retailer who hassle or mistreated SNAP or WIC recipients - such as criticizing recipients about food purchases, inspecting the user's EBT card, not letting other household members use the EBT card to shop, or any other demeaning or unauthorized treatment of SNAP or WiC recipients. Now, more than ever, it is critical that SNAP Coalition members help remove the stigma of poverty by alerting SNAP recipients to their rights, and assisting them will reporting in-store abuses to both store managers and to USDA EBT staff who monitor EBT retailers.

Nutrition Assistance Recipients Struggle with Incidences of Public Shame, (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, July 24, 2014)