People in 17 states, including Maryland and Virginia, who tried to buy groceries using electronic food-stamp cards were turned away from supermarkets Saturday as a result of a computer outage.

The system failure affected low-income individuals and families who receive food benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Women, Infants and Children program (WIC).

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The outage occurred during a “routine test” of backup systems Saturday morning, Jennifer Wasmer, a spokeswoman for Xerox, which administers the program, said. By late Saturday, access had been restored.

After the system failed, SNAP and WIC beneficiaries in the affected states were unable to buy food using electronic benefit transfers.

“Beneficiary access to programs such as SNAP, TANF, and other programs has been restored to the 17 States where Xerox provides EBT service. Re-starting the EBT system required time to ensure service was back at full functionality,” Wasmer said in a statement.

Courtney Rowe, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, told the Associated Press that the outage was not related to the government shutdown.

Earlier Saturday, Brian Schleter, a spokesman for the Maryland Department of Human Resources, which provides services to low-income residents, confirmed the problems with the electronic benefits system. He said Maryland officials were in “close communication” with Xerox and were working to restore service as soon as possible.

More than 6,000 Maryland residents received food assistance last month, according to state data. It was unclear how many residents in Maryland were unable to obtain food Saturday. Virginia officials could not be reached for comment Saturday.

Before repairs were made, Wasmer suggested that beneficiaries “work with their local retailers, who can activate an emergency voucher system where available.”

“We appreciate our clients’ patience while we work through this outage as quickly as possible,” she said.

Many people had to walk away from full grocery carts Saturday.

Richard Elwell, who lives in Chevy Chase, said someone he knows went to two grocery stores, and was unable to buy food at either. His first thought when heard about the problem: the government shutdown.

“I was wondering what was going [on],” Elwell said.

But Wasmer said the shutdown was not the problem.

USDA officials have said that food benefits were not in immediate jeopardy from the shutdown. Funds would be available through late October, officials said.

 Ninjacommando wrote:
I don't understand how the Wic people were affected. They don't use electronics for their program they use checks that the a store runs through as a normal check and its sent back to regional headquaters before its sent back to the Wic provider and cash exchanged.

The solution? instead of giving people an EBT card you take a list of the people on EBT and get the Number of people per household (along with age) and every week enough food is delivered to the person/family (comprising of healthy food). That why they don't spend the EBT on junk food.

The EBT program could learn from the WIC program and give people healthy foood

 Ninjacommando wrote:

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
What about people that do not want to eat all those vegetables and produce? And what is "Healthy" I think the current system is fine. Also what is the definition of "Junk Food" is jelly and peanut butter Junk food? Are Tortilla chips? What about sweets? Or do poor people not allowed sweets.

The current system is not fine, having worked as a cashier at a safeway over half of the people on EBT would ring up the same dam items every week, ~$200 of doritos, Coke/pepsi, digiorno/tombstone pizzas, oreos (so many dam oreos), 4.5 qts tubs of ice cream. After that i'd ring up their 24pack of pabst blue ribbon or Budwiser and then tell them "have a nice day". They would proceed over to the Customers service desk and buy 1-2 cartons of cigarettes and a few lottery tickets with the cash they had on them. (With EBT you can buy any food item that isnt, Hot, Alcohol, or tobacco)

Now is that everyone on EBT? heck no, there were people on it who actually bought healthy food with it for them and their family.

If people on EBT want to eat junk food they can spend their own cash on it and not tax payers cash.

 cincydooley wrote:

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
So if im on welfare, I cant enjoy a nice Pepsi once and awhile?

Nope. Not with your EBT or SNAP or food stamps. You're on the people's dime, you don't get luxuries. Soda is a luxury. It shouldn't be remotely comfortable to be on it.

 cincydooley wrote:

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
No. they are saying they don't deserve to be comfortabl. im saying they least deserve some luxuries like soda and cookies.

We wholeheartedly disagree.

You don't "deserve to be comfortable" on social services. In fact, it should be uncomfortable. You should WANT to get off it. That specific lack of comfort should serve as a primary motivating factor to get off of it.

Relapse wrote:

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
No. they are saying they don't deserve to be comfortabl. im saying they least deserve some luxuries like soda and cookies.

Yes, but you escalated not being able to buy a soda to having no bed or hot water. I was waiting for the next bit where people on food stamps were rooting naked in the fields.
I know you mean well, but I stated in an earlier post, if someone is eating on the taxpayer dime, perhaps they can eat a bit more healthy choices than stuff that would send them to the doctor or dentist on our dime.

 Alfndrate wrote:

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
I think they should. Let people who are in a crap situation atleast of a candy bar and soda every once in awhile.

McDouble and small fries are cheaper than a Hershey Bar and Coke...

Neither of which are conducive to food that allows someone to function well...