Tag: SystemFailure

#SystemFailure

ellisjennifer

Her SNAP Was Cut, So She Started Diluting Milk for Her Child

At the food pantry where I volunteer, I met a young mom whose SNAP benefits were suddenly cut in half. The reason was absurd—the system flagged her for “increased income,” even though nothing changed except two extra overtime shifts last month. The reviewer told her to submit three more documents, but processing could take 30 days. She admitted she’s been watering down milk every day so her kid can have something to drink. What stung the most was a man beside her bragging that he knows “the trick”—he stops taking temporary jobs before each review so the system shows “no income,” and he actually gets a higher benefit amount. The mom just stared at him, like she was witnessing how unfair the system can be. #SNAPCuts #SystemFailure #FoodInsecurity

hamiltonmatthew

It’s December 1st. My EBT app says $0.00. I am physically sick with worry.

I woke up at 5:45 AM today, before my alarm, specifically to check my Providers app. For most people, the 1st of the month means paying rent. For my family, it means we finally get to go to the grocery store after eating pasta and canned beans for the last five days. I opened the app. Current Balance: $0.34. My heart dropped into my stomach. Usually, the deposit hits at midnight like clockwork. I refreshed the page. Nothing. I logged out and logged back in. Still nothing. Now it's noon. I have two hungry kids coming home from school in three hours, expecting a real dinner. The fridge is basically empty—just a half-gallon of milk and some condiments. I’ve checked the state DHS website, and there are no outage alerts. I called the helpline, but the automated message just says, "Call volume is unusually high," and hangs up. Is this a system glitch? Did I miss a renewal letter? Or is this happening to everyone because of the Thanksgiving holiday delay? If you are in [State Name], please check your app right now. am I the only one panic-refreshing my screen? I don't know what I'm going to put on the table tonight if this money doesn't clear. #EBTDown #SNAPLife #FoodStamps #December1st #PovertyAwareness #SystemFailure #MomLife

Katherine Guzman

Drained in Seconds: The Skimming Victim

Linda waited for the 1st of the month to buy baby formula. She loaded her cart and swiped her card. "Declined." She tried again. "Declined." Panic set in. She checked her app. Her entire $500 balance had been spent at 12:01 AM at a 7-Eleven in New York—while she was asleep in Ohio. Criminals had placed a skimmer on a card reader she used days ago, stealing her data. Because EBT cards lack security chips, they are easy targets. Linda didn't commit fraud; she was the victim of it. Now, she has to explain to her kids why the fridge is empty while waiting weeks for the state to investigate. #CyberSecurity #Skimming #Victim #Poverty #SystemFailure

Christina Sanchez

Inside the Immigration Office Waiting Room

I went to the immigration office to renew my documents and waited over two hours. A Latina mother next to me tried to calm her crying son. When her turn finally came, the staff told her, “Your case is stuck in the shutdown backlog. You’ll need to wait 90 days.” She panicked, “But I have a court date in 60 days. Without this document, they’ll reject me!” The worker repeated, “I understand, but there’s nothing we can do.” After she left in tears, a local man muttered, “They create their own mess and expect the government to fix it?” I wanted to respond, but anything I said would have started a fight. At that moment I realized: The immigration office isn’t a public service building—it’s a weighing scale that pushes everyone down. #ImmigrationBacklog #SystemFailure #RealLifeStories #ImmigrationPolicyNow

Patrick Baxter

The Bus Driver at Midnight

I drive the night bus. Most of my riders lately are people returning from food banks. They sit quietly, holding their plastic bags. One young father told me, “I just want a stable life. We shouldn’t have to rely on luck to eat.” He’s right. The shutdown didn’t just stop a system—it stopped people’s dignity. #SNAPLife P #GovernmentShutdown #WorkingClassVoices #SystemFailure

Kelsey Foster

The Expired Benefits Notice

Last month, I got a letter saying my SNAP benefits were suspended because of a “system review error.” I called customer service and waited on hold for over an hour. The operator said, “It might be a system glitch, just wait a few weeks.” A few weeks? I only had a bag of noodles and a bottle of water left. That night, I went to a church food pantry for the first time. The shame I felt—I’ll never forget it. #SNAPBenefits #SystemFailure #SocialJustice

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