Too poor for Food Stamps, When Social Services Are Impossible To Keep.

When the government's requirments for food stamps prevent the poorest persons from being able to keep them.

A month or so ago, I posted a hub about how I got food stamps.  Today, I realized that I'm too poor to be able to keep them.  There's nothing that I can do, but post it here.

A week or two ago I got a letter from the Texas Workforce Commission  that told me that because I was receiving food stamps, that I have a responsibility to look for work.  I agree with that in principle.  The government's idea of that being applied, however, isn't possible for those in extreme poverty, like me.

I was asked to come in to the Texas Workforce Commission office for a meeting.  I had to have my Mother take me there, because I do not have a vehicle.  We got there fifteen minutes late, and the people almost didn't let me in.

"The meeting started fifteen minutes ago, she probably won't let you in."

"I don't have a car," I'd said, "I had to get a ride over here-I can only get here when I can get here.  I live a long ways from here."

It turns out, that in order for me to keep my food stamps, I have to be able to prove to the people at the Texas Workforce Commission that I have spent 30 hours a week looking for work.  If you look at the math, then you'd see that I would have to spend 120 hours a month looking for work in order to keep $200.00/month worth of food stamps.

I live six miles away from the nearest small town-a town with very few businesses.  The largest town in the county is over twenty miles from home, and I have no way to get there to apply for jobs-much less spend 30 hours a week applying for jobs.  If I got a job, then I'd still have no way to get to it.

My Mother didn't retire to spend her life driving me around everywhere.  It's a hopeless situation, and I'm convinced that the United States government just doesn't give a damn for someone in my position.