Money Matters
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Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Re: If you qualify for WIC...
As long as they provide accurate information on the application and legitimately qualify under the rules, I don't see any reason not to take it.
Yes, I'm questioning whether someone should take advantage of a program that they don't need simply because they qualify for it.
If you can afford to go to the BX and buy a new Coach purse, I don't think you should be taking advantage of a program designed to help women provide healthy nutrition for their children and themselves if they can't afford it.
I do not believe that someone who does not need it should go out and get it.
For example, I qualified for WIC while pregnant w/ DS, and I needed it desperately, so I went and got it. Such a huge help as I was in a very tough financial time and would not have ate as well while pregnant if I had not had it.
After DS was born, however, I stopped using it and ended my enrollment. I no longer needed it, due to being able to improve my financial situation, so I did not accept it. I was able to afford to eat well in order to breastfeed DS healthfully, so there was no need for it in my mind.
I do not believe in taking advantage of these things in order to save money, only in using programs like this if you are in need of them because you don't have enough money.
Currently Reading: Don Quixote by Miguel De Cervantes
If someone legitimately qualifies for a program under the rules and would like to use it, I have no problem with that. People who "need' it is very subjective and judging by some other qualification that income would be bizzare. For example, where would you otherwise draw the line at "need"? If you have any money in savings? If you have cable? If your family has two cars? If you give charitably? Income-based means that people are able to prioritize their own money without creepy big-brother impositions.
In terms of evening the field so the extras don't count, can anyone actually imagine a politician ever running with the platform of "let's reduce food help for military families"?
It is no secret that there are some benefits to military life good benefits, housing, job stability, etc. This may be one of them. Of course, there also are huge costs: moving frequently with little to no say, may be hard for a spouse to stay well-employed with each move, deployment, being a single parent during TDYs, etc.
I'm split on this.
My daughter receives WIC because she was a fosterchild prior to us adopting her. She gets WIC until age 5. We definitely are well over the income requirements and don't need the WIC to survive ok. Intially I wanted to reject it. But I started out getting WIC for her when she was a fosterchild as I wanted to save my expenses on her any way possible in case we weren't able to adopt her and had to pay for another child later (which happened to us once - we spent a fortune on another child that went back to her biological parents).
Well once I went to WIC, I was heavily impressed. The nutritional education is required to get the free food vouchers. The education is incredible. They make it idiot proof and truely teach good habits. They even give healthy recipies and such. They also make sure that those on WIC are having their necessary well checks and dr's and such. They encourage people to go to farmers markets for healthy yet fun nutritional training for kids. I loooove the program. So even though my daughter is mine now, I have been continuing with WIC. Also social workers encouraged me to continue saying that it's meant for my child...not for me...and I need to think of it that way. So if I can save $40 or whatever a month on some free food and put that money in college savings, I'm going to do it. Plus, since my baby was born on drugs, she may have issues in the future that I need good funding for. I need to prepare myself anyway I can.
I like that WIC also requires nutrition training, in order to receive the benefit. I learned a lot about how to feed my baby from these classes.
If a person qualifies for the program, I have no problem with them receiving it. If I don't think it's right, I can't judge the person for receiving something they're entitled to. The problem would lie with the law makers.
I know it's easy to say "the SAHM should get a job." It's extremely difficult for military wives to get jobs. A lot of local employers don't want to hire military wives due to the frequent transfers. My father was in the military for 20 years. Although my mom is a degreed accountant, she couldn't get a job higher than staff accountant/bookkeeper due to the frequent moves.
My father retired 20 years ago. When he was active duty, the military did not want their dependents to seek these types of aid, and the Navy Relief was in place. Protocal must have changed.
Are we just talking about WIC here or general food stamps? My nest education has taught me that they are different and that WIC has a lot of very stringent rules to get nursing women and children the right nutrition. I really am fine with that.
General food stamps / welfare - I am not sure if I would be on the same boat for that.
I am a working military wife and mom. I hate the fact that people who do not "need" public assistance take it. I just wish people had more pride than to take something they don't "need" just because they qualify, especially in the state of the financial crisis going on with our government and economy.
The income guidelines are pretty low. http://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/howtoapply/incomeguidelines08-09.htm
I couldn't imagine supporting a family of 3 on 32560 before taxes/retirement annually.
I am horrified that military families qualify. These people sign their freedom away, the least they could get is enough money to feed their families.
But yes, if I were eligible for something like that of course I'd take it. Why wouldn't you?
Yes. I know that I would. I have taken free formula from my pedi and my daycare. I have taken free samples of meds from my doctor. I took a bag of baby clothes they gave us at the hospital when my child was born. I claim income tax deductions.
I can't imagine that I wouldn't take it if it was offered.
Most do make enough to feed their families. You might have missed the middle of this thread where it was stated that housing allowance isn't counted when deciding whether or not you qualify. For my family, this is $1,400+ a month that is not added in.
I find it hard to believe that if a woman came to this board and stated that she lived in a LCOL area and 'only' made $4,000 a month so she couldn't feed her baby and needed government assistance that many would be supportive.
I wouldn't get WIC even if we were eligible if I was doing just fine financially and didn't need the help.
Let's see here - Men and women are willing to sacrifice their family time, roots, and life for our safety and a few here are whining that they want to get some milk, juice, and cereal.
Heck, I think all military families should get free groceries while mom/dad area active duty.
They do get their groceries at cost, plus a surchage (6% - I think). The salaries for the grocery store (commissary) are paid out of a different fund, and the grocery revenue doesn't have to cover it.
My parents drive 100 miles each way - 4 times a year to stock their pantry.
Yup, I wouldn't be surprised if this was by design. The government often does things to give military members and their families an edge (like not taxing combat pay). I have no problem with this. I consider it a thank you for all that these families do for us, especially during wartime.
This is how I feel this weekend. My little guy peed the bed last night (okay, his diaper leeked, but that added to the laundry pile!)