<html><head><style type="text/css"><!-- DIV {margin:0px;} --></style></head><body><div style="font-family:times new roman,new york,times,serif;font-size:12pt;color:#000000;"><font size="4"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Grocers swamped by shoppers with food stamps</span><br style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Once-monthly distribution causes overcrowding, some store officials say</span></font><br>Associated Press<br>February 27, 2011<br><br>NAMPA - Some Idaho grocery store officials are asking the state to change when food stamps are distributed because so many recipients show up to shop on the same day that overcrowding has become a problem.<br><br>The Department of Health and Welfare since August 2009 has distributed all food stamps on the first day of each month. Previously, benefits were distributed on five consecutive days at the start of each month.<br><br>"They couldn't have picked a worse day if they were going to go to
one day," Michael Read, vice president of public and legal affairs for WinCo Foods, told the Idaho Press-Tribune. "Going from five to one has simply proved to be unworkable for us. The lines in the stores become unmanageable even when we have all 18 of our checkstands open."<br><br>About 200,000 Idahoans receive food stamps. Grocery store officials also say many people are paid on the first day of the month, and they also arrive to shop.<br><br>"That creates frustration, it's a bad shopping experience, even for the food stamp recipients," said Read.<br><br>But Health and Welfare spokesman Tom Shanahan said the current system saves money for taxpayers and creates consistency for food stamp recipients.<br><br>"Right now we're at a system that's best for the state as far as our workers, it's best for the customers, the people who receive food stamps, and it's best for the taxpayers," he said.<br><br>Shanahan said an increase in the number of people
receiving food stamps is also playing a part in the overcrowding.<br><br>Government officials said that Idaho in 2007 distributed about $8 million in food stamps each month, but that has grown to about $30 million each month now.<br></div><br>
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