House votes to stagger food stamp distribution

BOISE (AP) — Idaho grocers may get some relief after complaining they've been swamped by food-stamp recipients on the first day of every month.

The House voted 55-12 on Friday for a plan to allow the Department of Health and Welfare to stagger the distribution of these federal benefits.

With a record 235,000 Idahoans now getting food stamps, stores were deluged by recipients, causing supply-chain problems.

They say long lines, sometimes in the wee morning hours, caused some people to abandon their carts in the aisles, forcing $1 million in food to go to waste.

The Northwest Grocers Association and WinCo Foods are chipping in $100,000.

That would help defray ongoing costs of $220,000 for Department of Health and Welfare staff to respond to recipients' confusion.

The measure now goes to the Senate.