Judgmental looks and intrusive questions at the supermarket checkout are a common experience for some people in Michigan who receive food assistance, according to a new report from the University of Michigan, which finds that the stigma associated with receiving government assistance can lead some people to forgo purchasing food or seeking assistance.
“Discrimination and stigma surrounding the use of food assistance programs were incredibly widespread,” said Kate Bauer, Feeding MI Families report director. “And they are one of the main barriers to people taking full advantage of the food assistance available to them.”
The study drew on the experiences of 1,300 people across the state and concluded that many people do not want to be seen using an Electronic Benefit Transfer Card (EBT).
“The EBT card that you use to get food stamps in Michigan, called the Bridge Card, is bright orange, and over and over again parents say, ‘Oh my God, I pull out this bright orange card and I’m so embarrassed,'” Bauer explained.
Although recipients can use their EBT card to purchase groceries from online retailers, Bauer said study participants prefer to go to the supermarket because they have the option to select the items they want.
“They said, ‘I love grocery shopping. I want to do this with my kids. I want to be able to go in and see the produce and choose the freshest produce,'” Bauer said.
Some participants reported experiences of discrimination in their dealings with social workers at the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
“I’ve lost jobs because I had to take time off work to take a child to the hospital for a procedure, and then my social worker told me, ‘You didn’t try hard enough.’ That hurts,” participant Deanna Riggs said in the report.
Despite the existence of Double Up Food Bucks, a government program that donates $2 for every dollar spent on fresh fruits and vegetables, many people have difficulty finding stores that accept these perks, according to the study.
Bauer says she heard of a mother who drove around to several stores in search of fresh food at an affordable price.
“She doesn’t want to spend the only time she has with her kids driving an hour each way from store to store,” she said. “She wants to be able to go to her local store. She wants to be able to buy local products.”
Although food assistance can be used to purchase all types of food, the study found that food assistance is not necessarily higher for people with special dietary needs.
“In particular, many parents spoke about food allergies, intolerances and dietary needs of their family members,” the Feeding MI Families report said. “They described how these special dietary needs were expensive, rarely addressed by the charitable food system and sometimes not covered by food subsidy programs.”
With food prices and housing costs rising over the past year and pandemic assistance expiring, the study found that the proportion of Michiganders experiencing food insecurity is higher today than before the COVID-19 pandemic.
In Michigan, more than 1.3 million people rely on government benefits to afford food.
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