Food stamps work the same wherever you live. They are issued to people who are entitled to receive welfare benefits in place of money to purchase food. The stamps are then taken to a retail outlet that accepts them and they are exchanged for food, up to the maximum value of the stamps. The retailer then submits the stamps to the welfare agency and is reimbursed. Although I know that some places still use food stamps, they are an outdated concept that is open to abuse. Food stamps were introduced because of Victorian-era beliefs that the poor and destitute could not be considered responsible enough to buy food for themselves. Food stamps force recipients to purchase food with public funds and arose in the times when means test inspectors could walk into your home at any time to perform a humiliating inspection of your home life. - Food stamps are demeaning to people on public assistance programs. People do not like being marked in public as needy, particularly when some are hostile to them. - They do not prevent abuse, since stamps can be sold for cash to people who then sell them on to others. Those selling stamps for cash do not receive anywhere near their face value. - Many stores refuse to accept food stamps, limiting the number of retailers available to a shopper. - Many stores inflate charges to holders of food stamps, turning extra profit from the disadvantage of others. Only a small minority of people on public assistance abuse the system, in spite of what some folk like to pretend. The fact is, most people do not enjoy living on the bottom of the socio-economic heap. The majority of recipients fall into support programs through no fault of their own and work very hard to lift themselves out of them. Most are on public assistance for less than a year. Besides, how many paycheques would any of us have to lose, before we would be out of money and in need of a helping hand?

A much smaller version of the bailout plan, applied on a micro level to needy families instead of 8 figure earning CEO's :) and there companies...

They used to be food coupons and were in booklets of various values including, $2, 5, 10 and 20 coupons. They still may be provided that way in some states. They are US Dept. of Agiculture funds administered by Health and Social Services agencies. They are provided to buy eatable food ONLY that you prepare at your home based on your income level and the size of your family. Billions are given out per year in the US to needy families and individuals. I administered a local County Food Stamp Program in my younger years. More information by another user about two years ago at this link: http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/40800

money you can only buy food with instead of using it for drugs and alcohol