What's worse is the fact that you most likely had to take a drug test to get your job, and these people on welfare don't get tested for anything to take our money.

Not everyone using food stamps abuses them, you know. With that said, we do need a better way to ensure that only people who need them get them.

Some people are smart and well mannered, just down on their luck and need some help. With today's economy people are loosing their once steady well paying jobs, and cannot find work. Not everyone is a moocher.

I've had people pay for groceries with ebt, and complain when energy drinks and things like that aren't covered. Then spend close to $200 on cartons of cigarettes and alcohol. Some people genuinely need and appreciate it. Some people, unfortunately, abuse it.

Normally I would probably agree with you, but I'm not going to in this case. For these reasons: 1- She was trying to exchange food stamps at a movie theater. That's not exactly showing a lot of intelligence. 2- She clearly had no problems to admit it in public, otherwise you wouldn't try to use them in a theater. 3- If you are on welfare, should you even be going to the theater?

That's funny, because when I worked in a grocery store, every single one of those people with EBT purchased lobster, steaks, and shrimp. They eat better than the rest of us. So no, my comment wasn't satirical.

#85 I'm not talking about the woman in the FML. She's clearly an idiot. I mean the people here who are insulting and degrading ALL people on welfare, as if this woman is somehow representative of all people who use food stamps. #94 Okay, so "everybody" you served who had food stamps ate expensive items... So what? Just because they're on food stamps, they should eat worse than the rest of us? Maybe they'd been eating crap for weeks and wanted to save up their food stamps for a treat? It's easy to judge others from the outside when you don't know their story. Though I'd be willing to debate the fact that "everybody" you served bought lobster and expensive steaks (and apparently also owned Coach bags and had professional manicures too, according to your other comment), because I used to work at a employment agency, and most of the low-income people we dealt with could barely afford rent and basic groceries each week, let alone expensive lobster and steaks. It's ******* heartbreaking telling a person you don't have any available jobs this weeks and you can't tell government services to raise their pay for any legitimate reasons, when they're begging you to help them because they can't afford to fill their important life-saving prescriptions (did you know 1 in 5 Americans don’t take a medication a doctor has prescribed because they can’t afford to pay for it?) or are afraid of losing their house because they can no longer afford their rent (for whatever reason). Like I said, welfare scammers are the minority (though they're also the ones the media loves to pick on and blame for all sorts of problems). Most people on welfare just want to get on with their damn lives without being judged for their income situation. And if that involves going to the movies every now and then for a break from the monotony, so be it.

If they can afford lobster, steak and shrimp, them clearly, they eat BETTER than those of us who aren't on food stamps, not worse. My own family is a bunch of welfare abusers and I know many more outside of my family, as do friends of mine. The group of welfare abusers is not as small as you might think. And yes, I've seen people on welfare with very expensive items. If someone is so poor that they need welfare, how can they afford an iPad, iPhone 5 and other expensive luxuries? Explain that.

Anecdotal evidence =/= actual evidence. Welfare abusers are the minority. In fact, it's estimated to be lower than 2% in America. So your family and friends abusing welfare is no indication of the vast majority of people on welfare. And like I said, you don't know everybody's situation. You can't judge every person on welfare based on the actions of a few. So why are you judging them? Maybe they've been saving up their welfare for months in order to buy those luxury items. Maybe they have a cheap plan on their phone (you can get iphone plans for $20-30 a month...cheaper than most people spend on phone credit). Maybe their only treat for a year was buying an ipod? Or maybe a family or friend bought those items for them? Seriously, how do people here think welfare works? I'd love to know how your minds think, because you're doing a great job of painting those who are less well-off than you with the same brush. I only hope you never have to go on welfare and suffer the constant embarrassment and insults that many people are throwing around here.

Like I said, I come from a family of welfare users and abusers. I've already dealt with the constant embarrassment and insults because everyone who knows my family expects tha I'll end up doing the same. Can't blame them for thinking that, but no, I will not. As for saving up their welfare, why would somebody who's starving for food do that? I like technology as much as the next person, but if I'm struggling to the point I need help to keep myself alive, getting an expensive gadget would be the last thing on my mind. I seriously doubt every single one of those people was given it as a gift.

Yeah! God forbid people on welfare have fun, right? People on food stamps don't deserve the right to have fun! They should just sit at home and wallow in their poorness! *rolls eyes*

Actually, if you are short on money, YES, some luxuries have to go. I've been on welfare and if I can't afford a luxury (because that's what this is), I don't expect the government to pay me for it. It means I have to get my ass to work so I can afford luxuries again. Welfare is meant to help you survive, it's not and never was supposed to replace a full salary.

well #80 there is nothing wrong with having some fun, but going to the movies is expensive, about 14$ a ticket (in my area).. people can always rent a redbox movie for much cheaper..

I just don't like the idea that just because someone is on welfare, they should use that money for "surviving" instead of living. I used to be on welfare and I'd get all sorts of shit from people who thought I shouldn't go to the movies or shouldn't go out for coffees with friends because I "couldn't afford it" or I should be putting that money to "practical things". Hell, that's the only "fun" I could afford, while my friends went on overseas vacations and road-trips with their friends. Just because a minority of people abuse welfare, doesn't mean that everyone else on welfare should suffer because of it. I'm not saying the woman in the FML isn't a moron, but it really bothers me that people are saying that ALL people on welfare are money-thieves, uneducated idiots, or people who should suffer simply because they are less well-off than the average person. Sure, in a perfect world, people would only be on welfare for a short amount of time between jobs (or wouldn't be on welfare at all)...but this isn't a perfect world. Some people struggle to find jobs in this economy (whether it be a lack of opportunities, a town with high unemployment, living in a bad area, living in a remote area, being underqualified or overqualified for available jobs, etc), some people aren't even medically fit to gain employment, and a lot of people on welfare are students paying high uni fees, renters with low income, or single parents. If they want to save up their welfare checks to pay for a movie or some treats, then good for them. They probably have better money-saving skills than I did when I was on welfare.