Florida Food Stamp Cards Won’t Work Monday

September 14, 2013

With the state Department of Children and Families switching to a new vendor, the program that provides food assistance — formerly known as food stamps — to low-income people will be temporarily offline Monday.

Purchases with electronic benefits transfer cards will not be available from midnight until Monday evening.

DCF spokesman Whitney Ray said people who would normally receive funds close to Monday instead received them a week early, and they should get ready for the system being down.

“We ask that all EBT customers go ahead and prepare by stocking up on groceries,” Ray said. “We hope to, by the afternoon, have benefits flowing again. Folks won’t need new cards in that situation, and they’ll be able to go to the store and make those purchases once again.”

DCF has been working since July on the switch to the new vendor, e-Funds, which will provide electronic-benefits transfer services. It says the switch will lead to $21 million in savings over three years in the food-assistance program known by the acronym SNAP.

Comments

13 Responses to “Florida Food Stamp Cards Won’t Work Monday”

  1. judy tiger on September 16th, 2013 2:08 pm

    After doing my shopping going to check out and card not accepted.cashier points to little sign.4 people waiting behind me.How embarrasing was that !

  2. Single widow dad of 4 girls on September 15th, 2013 9:52 pm

    Some people should not worry about the handouts given out and worry about how the government spends the money elsewhere. They worry about the wrong thing.

  3. Angel Sierra on September 15th, 2013 9:46 pm

    They should have done the update from 10pm Sunday night til 8am Monday Morning. My God Help out these people to have more wisdom ..Geez these are people with College degrees. Even a food stamp recipient like me knows at what time to perform updates. The company I work for performs updates in the early morning hours before dawn.

  4. David Huie Green on September 15th, 2013 9:35 pm

    By definition if you do not know something, you are ignorant. It is not the same as stupid.

  5. really? on September 15th, 2013 7:40 pm

    The entitlement mentality never ceases to amaze me. Some of the peope here seem to think they have a God given right to government assistance. Government programs only create a perpetual sense of dependency on goverment.

  6. Flachick on September 15th, 2013 5:03 pm

    I am a food stamp receiver and had no idea of this until my husband’s coworker asked him if it is true moments ago. I do not have access to cable, this have no news. The radio doesn’t cover this (at least not z88.3 which is the only thing I listen to), and I cannot afford a computer this have no internet except on my phone. I receive paper notices in the mail regarding my food stamps, so I don’t check the MyAccess website. Do not be so quick to assume we are all ignorant regarding what happens in the world.

  7. Sue on September 15th, 2013 2:25 pm

    This is what I hope people are aware of:

    “…people who would normally receive funds close to Monday instead received them a week early, and they should get ready for the system being down.”

    I can’t think of any legitimate reason for an EBT recipient not to know about this one day shutdown.

  8. Curious on September 15th, 2013 2:19 pm

    I am wondering how it is possible for food stamp shoppers not to know about this. It’s on the news, it’s in the papers, and it’s on the website. The website says that the cards will be preloaded so that everyone can shop this weekend, before the temporary shutdown.

    I also don’t see how it is insensitive, much less poor planing or poor judgement. My bank sometimes shuts down their website for updates and maintenance. It seems only logical that the EBT system would sometimes need to do the same thing.

  9. Denise on September 15th, 2013 10:51 am

    Republicans get on National TV to whine, cry, and beat down t e president and food stamp recipients.

    Why is this not apart of their conversation on National TV?

    Food Stamp recipients should be respected. They shouldn’t have to go to the grocery store and collect groceries , then get to checkout and realize their card will not work. This is an insult.

    This is an excellent example of Department of Children and Families Services ppor management, poor judgment, and poor planning. This is insensitive and totally unacceptable behavior.

  10. Preda on September 14th, 2013 1:34 pm

    Probably not helping just our country would rather spend money other ways instead of helping us grow into better people.

  11. David Huie Green on September 14th, 2013 12:26 pm

    But are we really helping those other countries?

  12. Friction against the machine on September 14th, 2013 7:11 am

    There’s an easy way to avoid this government debugery-provide for yourself, don’t take their handouts….

  13. Henry Coe on September 14th, 2013 3:45 am

    If people shopping with EBT cards don’t know about this, they won’t find out until after they have selected their groceries and they have been rung up, when they scan their card.
    The grocery stores would be wise to have really big signs about this at their front doors and throughout their stores.