Middle Class Left Out in the Cold When it Comes to Retailer Benefits

Being middle class can often feel like a constant cycle of lose-lose. You’re not quite financially secure (inflation hurts), but you’re also not quite poor enough to receive any assistance. Instead, you’re left to work your tail off to fund government programs you will never benefit from.

It’s frustrating, to say the least, and the government shutdown is only magnifying the divide. As SNAP is set to run out on November 1, I’ve witnessed a lot of entitled meltdowns online from some very husky EBT beneficiaries. While gravitationally challenged, these people appear able-bodied and capable of working. But instead of pulling their weight—all 500 lbs. of it—they are screaming about not receiving their free groceries for the month.

It’s maddening to watch, but it is a dynamic many working class families are used to. What makes it worse is the government isn’t the only one guilty of screwing the middle class—retailers are, too.

Fox News reports:

Walmart, Amazon and Kroger have rolled out or expanded programs that offer special discounts, delivery perks and membership savings for customers who use government assistance programs such as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT).

Walmart’s new Walmart+ Assist membership cuts its annual subscription cost in half, from $98 to $49, for shoppers enrolled in government aid programs like SNAP, Women, Infants and Children (WIC) and Medicaid.

Amazon offers similar breaks, with Prime Access, a discounted Prime membership for qualifying low-income customers with an integrated EBT payment platform.

Meanwhile, Kroger has expanded its ability to process SNAP payments for delivery and pickup orders, making it easier for government-aided shoppers to buy groceries online.

These efforts are framed as part of a broader corporate push to improve “access and affordability.”

What this says to the working class is: 

• Got a job? You’re paying full price.
• No job? Congratulations, you get a discount on your next grocery delivery! Yay!

For those milking the system, this is going to be the scariest thing you see this Halloween: