From a Notice of Proposed Rule-Making posted in the Federal Register by the Department of the Treasury:
The proposed rule would generally require individuals to receive Federal nontax payments by EFT [Electronic Funds Transfer] , effective March 1, 2011, except that there would be a delayed effective date to March 1, 2013, for two categories of individuals, namely: Individuals receiving Federal payments by check on March 1, 2011, and individuals whose claims for Federal benefits are filed before March 1, 2011, and who request check payments when they file.
For Federal benefit recipients, this means that individuals whose claims for Federal benefits are filed on or after March 1, 2011, would receive their benefit payments by direct deposit. Individuals receiving their payments by direct deposit prior to March 1, 2011, would continue to do so. Individuals who do not choose direct deposit of their payments to an account at a financial institution would be enrolled in the Direct Express® Debit MasterCard® card program, a prepaid card program ...
This may help with the people who are always in the office looking for immediate payments, same ones always have a nonreceipt, since they can't seem to be capable of providing a valid mailing address or PO Box. And they whine about not being able to open a bank account. The time saved not having the Claims Rep that has to double as a cashier spend time writing them a check in the office is definitely worth it. Of course if they lose their debit express cards they will still come in with the whine....
ReplyDeleteIn the case of SSI recipients,who are homeless out of proportion to their numbers, it's not surprising that they can't open bank accounts, since they have no money.
ReplyDelete