This suggests to me many are and have been brought up under the 'social services' culture. Part of the so called war on poverty has trapped generations. I was at the local WalMart recently and a gal and her grandmother in front of me had 500 + dollars of 'food' items paid for with some sort of 'government' card. Both looked like they had lived very hard lives. Reason I know, was that the WalMart computer rejected some 'easter' egg coloring item as NOT accepted for government funding. The gal had to dig through her $500 + already sacked items in two carts to get out and pay for on her own the rejected item. And she was NOT happy about it.
I finally left the check out isle because the nearly three feet long receipt was still being discussed about other rejected items.
I suppose that you might be correct. My friend, however, was concerned with the deadend our system propagated. These women no longer could raise their children, who became wards of the state with their incarceration for traffic tickets. This was not helpful in getting them to become working, tax paying, constructive members of society - only dug them in deeper.
Bet there’s probably some gummit regulation forbidding Wal-Mart from asking a customer for such cards prior to ringing up anything, so that if something isn’t eligible it is flagged (and can be set aside for a cash sale if necessary).