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Shorter Checkout Lines Anticipated After Food Stamp Schedule Changes

Posted: 3:51 AM Jul 5, 2012
Reporter: Anna Lempereur

Shorter Checkout Lines Anticipated After Food Stamp Schedule Changes

The checkout lines at grocery stores are about to look a whole lot different in Virginia.

The Department of Social Services plans to change the state's schedule for issuing food stamps, which should help avoid heavy rushes of customers and shortages on the shelves.

Before, food stamps were issued on the first of every month.

Now, they will be issued on the first, fourth, seventh and ninth day of the month.

Those days will be based on the last digit of a person's case number.

Red Front Supermarket General Manager John Garber said the store was never really heavy with food stamp users, but with the economy over the past few years, a lot more people are on them.

Garber said the schedule change is a much better solution, given significantly lower stocks during the beginning of every month and a heavy influx of customers all in one day.

"Everyone knows what it's like to shop several days before Christmas, and that's really the best comparison I have. It's just insanely busy on the first of every month, and Virginia is attempting to even that out for the business community, as well as the recipients of the food stamp program," said Garber.

We can expect to see the new schedule changes in October.