BOSTON — Massachusetts officials are disputing concerns raised by the federal government about implementation of a state requirement that electronic benefit transfer cards used by food stamp recipients include photo identification.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture sent state officials a letter last week that threatened to pull federal administrative funding for the food stamp program unless the problems were cleared up, The Boston Globe reported Monday.
The photo ID requirement, which went into effect last year as part of an effort to reduce fraud, has created some confusion among retailers, according to the letter.
The EBT cards are issued to the heads of eligible households and act like debit cards for purchasing groceries. Some stores have turned away family members who are legally allowed to use the benefits because they don’t match the photos on the cards.
“There are significant concerns with regard to client access to program benefits,” the letter stated.
The USDA also said some elderly and disabled people were turned away even though they are exempt from the photo requirement, and found many state workers improperly trained on the new rules.
Stacey Monahan, commissioner of the state Department of Transitional Assistance, said the federal government offered little evidence to back up claims made in the Dec. 2 letter and said the state officials are working on a detailed response.
“It was a very successful implementation,” Monahan said of the photo requirement. “For everybody who was supposed to get their card and their benefits, it worked.”
The agency spent an estimated $1.5 million to take photographs and mail the new EBT cards to approximately 225,000 recipients in Massachusetts, the Globe reported.
Outside of the legislative leadership, Senators and Representatives throughout the Commonwealth have expressed a wide array of reactions to the federal criticism.
“The whole point of putting photos on EBT cards is because of the rampant and pervasive abuse of the system that all of us elected state lawmakers need to deal with head on this coming legislative season,” said Rep. John Velis, D-Westfield, adding that he had not yet read the letter. “If it is a concern of retailers, I’m less concerned about that than I am the abuse that seems to be going around statewide right now in the Commonwealth.”
When informed of the issues some elderly and disabled residents have faced with EBT cards despite their exemption from the law, Velis said there is “no excuse” for those exempt from the law to get their benefits waived.
“That just goes to the efficiency of government. When we pass a law, we need to make sure that, within our implementation mechanisms, we have outlined just how this law will be implemented,” he said.
“It’s our job as lawmakers to make people aware what the law says and if there is an exemption, the retailers and people who sell merchandise throughout the Commonwealth need to be made aware of that.”
Rep. Stephen Kulik, D-Worthington, whose 1st Franklin District includes the hilltowns of Chester and Huntington, said he had heard of the federal criticism and stated that the problem “needs to be fixed.”
“I believe in and support the photo system, but appearently there’s some correction that needs to be made to bring it into compliance with the federal regulations,” said Kulik. “I believe the state should do that as quickly as possible.”
“We want to make sure people who are entitled to benefits are able to use their cards,” he added. “But we also want a strong system to prevent fraud, which is the reason for the photo requirement in the first place.”
Kulik added that he had not heard of the U.S.D.A. threatening to pull funding unless the photo issues are cleared.
Seth Gitell, director of communications for House Speaker Robert DeLeo, D-Winthrop, issued a statement Tuesday afternoon saying that the Speaker’s office has been in contact with the federal Department of Transitional Assistance.
“In crafting essential reforms to EBT over the past few years, we have collaborated with the DTA to help preserve access for those eligible,” read the statement. “As the DTA continues conversations with its federal partners, Speaker DeLeo looks forward to working closely with the agency to strengthen this important program.”
