To: Brenda L. Greer who wrote (2 ) 5/20/1998 11:17:00 AM From: Jeffrey L. Henken Respond to
Paper food stamps now extinct in Arkansasmornews.com The state Department of Human Services on April 1 finished phasing in a system of debit-like cards used in place of the paper food stamps. The cards also can be used in bank debit machines to collect cash benefits. DHS officials said the transition has been smooth, despite a few early glitches, such as people throwing them away when they opened their mail because they thought they were credit cards. The cards are expected to save the state more than $200,000 a year in administrative costs. They're also expected to help curb food stamp fraud. Members of the Human Services Subcommittee also continued a move toward a new welfare fraud prevention system that involves finger printing. The new system is designed to prevent people from using multiple identities to receive multiple benefits checks. The problem is one of the fastest growing fraud schemes in the nation, according to documentation provided to lawmakers Thursday. According to studies and finger imaging programs already in operation, "duplicate assistance welfare fraud" accounts for 1.3 percent to 4.7 percent of the total Aid to Families with Dependent Children caseload. States using the finger-imaging program include California, New York, Arizona, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Texas, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Florida, Mississippi and Illinois. Rep. Pat Flanagin, D-Forrest City, said one of the advantages of the system would be the ability to track fraud across state lines. The committee delayed a vote until next month on whether to study the use of such a system so that lawmakers who attended a Texas conference on the issue can discuss their findings.This is going to be big business for CLCK. I can just feel the money rolling in for Columbia Capital. They're using these cards here in Idaho already as well!
