Dear Seaturtle, I am going to put in a formal appeal.  I have a doctor's appt this AM, but I will try to get to it this PM.  Guess what my "luxury" CRT contained?!

3 orange & 2 lemon elecrtrolyte drinks (quarts)

qt of organic prune juice

qt of organic chocolate milk

chicken pot pie

feta cheese, bulk

pastry (1)

rotisserie chicken

guacamole

True,only teh electrolyte drink was medically necessary, but it wasn't like I was buying 10 rain-forest dark chocolate bars! 

I have $123.80 left in Food Stamps until 6/1.  (I was permitted to use about $100.)  I DO hope that I can use some of it on the 3 cases of electrolyte drink that I'm picking up this week. 

Personally, BEFORE I was on Food Stamps, I used the meals programs of Jewish Famillly & Children's Services, but I dropped out when I got on Food Stamps.  But the wheels of my conscience grind exceedingly fine, & I know that so long as you report it, you can be on a supplemental food progrram at the same tiime as you are on SNAP. 

Thank you, Seaturtle, for your cheer-leading!  I will, indeed, "fight it!"  Love in Him, Deb

Dear Tracy, I don't know why the "luxury Whopie Blanket" ws triggered.  It's up to Food Stamps/SNAP to investigate the case I am going to lay before them; I am not responsible for that.  In order to re-ring the order, we'd need to cut up another rotisserie chicken, which is not Kosher, & I as of yesterday am back to my normal diet, & do NOT want to have more trefe (non-Kosher) chicken in the house.

Love in Him, Deb

Dear Brenl, I'm not sure that "hot food from teh deli" is exactly the rule that, broken, triggered the "Luxury Whoopie Blanket."  I've bought fixings from the salad bar, which is part of the deli, before.  However, you could very welll be right!  I don't know, then, why the cashier said that SNAP rejected teh ENTIRE order ...!

I am not going to check with the local case manager; I am going to file a written appeal at the state level, via the county.

Thanks ever so much for your cogitatiooon oveer this matter!  Yours iin Him, Deb

Hi Deb, I just came from my Whole Foods and the people at the customer service desk were free so I asked them the question. They said the electrolyte drinks are fine and suggested that you bring the same items to the cust. svc desk and have them scan them...just re-enact that day and it will show you what caused it. They do not allow rotisserie chicken and told me that had to be the culprit. It seems like a lot to do, what you're planning when it might not be be necessary since they may have been in the right. Rejecting the whole order though is another issue. Maybe you can just talk to the manager and ask why? I am curious to see how this turns out and good luck!

While I've never used SNAP, I've known people who did.  They would just take everything, get it rung up and run the card through the machine.  The cash register's computer would determine was not acceptable and the cashier would then give the customer a balance due for the unacceptable items.  The customer could then pay cash, check, debit/credit card for the balance due.  It does seem odd to me that the whole order was denied.

Dear Susie, I agree with you that rejecting the total order was what was essentially wrong.  Dear Sunshine, I have sometimes bought cleaning agents @ Whole Foods, & automatically the cash register calculates what I can't use the SNAP card for.  Love in Him, Deb

Dear All,  I found taht I had time this morning to write the appeal.  REMEMBER THAT I AM RETIRED FROM THE PRACTICE OF LAW, & THAT YOU SHOULD CONSULT A LICENSED ATTORNEY FOR LEGAL ADVICE.

This is what I wrote:

I was in teh hospital with very severe dehydration from April 15-30, 2009.  After I was discharged, for 2 weeks, I could not tolerate my normal East Indian vegetarian diet.   I bought chicken, insteaad.  I also had to &  continue to have to buy "Sports Drink" electrolyte drink.

Food Stamps denied my attempted purchase on May 5, '09, due to -- according to a message that the cashier read to me (I might not  have the words exact) -- "luxury goods are not covered."  The amount of the transaction was $56.88.

I bought (on VISA -- I had to since Food Stamps wouldn't pay) --

sports drink

prune juice

chocolate milk

chicken pot pie

feta cheese

pastry (1)

rotisserie chicken (called "herb lemon w/ th" on CRT)

guacamole (called "in-house special" on CRT)

 

I am appealing.

I demand that, as restitution, that Food Stamps SNAP add $56.88 to my SNAP balance.

[signed, dated, address & phone number stated]

 

 

I can't imagine that they would agree to such "restitution," but at least it will wake up whoever reads such documents!

Yours in Him, Deb

Today I went to the store, and a zero powerade that I was buyng was rejected, for $1.07, I just have them put it back.  Accepted-  dark chocolate hershey's powder (oldest dd is making a 14 layer cake today-  http://bakerella.blogspot.com/2009/02/fourteen-for-fourteenth.html-

tomatoes, cheese, eggs, english muffins, cottage cheese, fresh french bread for dinner, shredded sharp cheddar, which might be considered a luxury item, and a few items that are definite luxuries- peanut butter m and m's, and a five pack of french vanilla coffee creamer powder in to go sticks for 99 cents, two packs of ice cream cups for my youngest, almonds, dry roasted peanuts, and organic Alexia fries which were BOGO.  $53.  

I think you should try to get the order, except the chicken which I think is the problem, put on you SNAP card and a credit, except the chicken, applied to your credit card.  I know you don't have money like that to spend on your credit card.  

I was also buying a giant powerade to get more to drink, I am recovering from bronchitis and trying to get more liquids- and water doesn't seem too appealing.  I'll try to find another drink at home.  

 

Deborahmichelle:

I am appealing.

 

If prune juice is a luxury, I want to know what essentials are.Might have to switch from having produce and dairy products to having bread and water.

 

 

Dear Brandy, I quite agree with you about the "luxurious" prune juice.

Dear Tracy, I was able to pay off my VISA bill with my $250 economic stimulus credit.  My VISA bill had really mounted up since, after the 5th, I never dared to try to use the SNAP card again.  (Now that I'm back to my East Indian diet, there should be no problem!)  I paid it off completely yesterday.

NOW, I have a fair amount of SNAP dollars left -- $123.80, I believe.  Any balance that I have left on June 1st will just carry over into June.

Yes, Tracy, if I hadn't been so sick when I was in teh store, I would have looked into the matter & just returned the chicken -- that would have been far easier than dealing with credits -- but I was still very ill on my 5th day at home, & I just didn't have the stamina to stand there & try to work out the situation.

Love in Him, Deb

 

 

Deborahmichelle:

if I hadn't been so sick when I was in teh store, I would have looked into the matter & just returned the chicken -- that would have been far easier than dealing with credits

The chicken should not have caused your entire purchase to be denied.SNAP should have covered the portion that was approveable with a balance for you to pay personally, right?