Lately, I’ve been feeling compelled to write some articles that will hopefully educate folks and spark thought-provoking conversations about those living in poverty or experiencing homelessness.
I hear well-off people or people who’ve never had to use EBT cards ask all the time:
“Why is that person buying that with my taxpayer money?”
OR
“Why do they need to panhandle if they have an EBT card?”
Here are some little-known facts about Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards:
#1: The average single person living in poverty receives an average of $200/month for food only. (How long do you think that would last you?)
#2: Not everyone qualifies for cash aid. And when they do qualify, funds are given on a sliding scale, which is dependent on the number of dependents you have or what state you’re located in. For example, in CA, a 52-year-old homeless woman could qualify for an additional $100 cash aid per month.
#3: The person receiving benefits must have a valid mailing address and valid ID card. Most homeless folks go through many channels to get the information required, which can take months to finalize.
#4: Food-only funds cannot be used for the following:
- medication, including over-the-counter meds (Advil, Tylenol, cold/flu meds, etc)
- personal hygiene items, including toilet paper
- feminine hygiene items
- pet food
- laundry detergent and cleaning supplies
Most commonly requested items that cannot be purchased using the food-only EBT card:
- deodorant
- baby wipes
- toilet paper
- garbage bags
- dog and cat food
- cleaning supplies
- tampons
- batteries
- first aid supplies
If you have questions about what else they can and cannot use, please let us know.
In closing, please keep all of this in mind before judging someone who is using an EBT card or who is panhandling. Most of the people I know who panhandle do so for over-the-counter medication, hygiene items, or bus tokens. If you don’t want to give money, please give hygiene items or bus tokens so they can take care of themselves and take the bus to get to appointments.