Legislation will help stop bridge card abuse
State Reps. Pete Lund and Kim Meltzer
A man goes into a convenience store and purchases a bottle of vodka, a carton of cigarettes and a few Lotto tickets using cash assistance from the state meant to help feed his family.
Right now, it’s perfectly legal. And there is no way to stop it.
That’s why we are working on legislation to crack down on welfare fraud and abuse by restricting the use of bridge cards.
Bridge cards, which replaced food stamps, function similar to a debit card. Because people are allowed to use them to withdraw up to nearly $500 in cash per month for legitimate purposes such as paying for a babysitter while going to a job interview, it is nearly impossible to prevent people with ill-intentions from abusing the system. That $500 in cash can just as easily be used to purchase anything else.
Or sometimes a merchant will just knowingly ring up a prohibited item to make the sale.
This issue has been in the media recently with many stories highlighting people using bridge cards to buy alcohol, cigarettes and Lotto tickets. There have also been reports of college students fraudulently obtaining bridge cards and even prisoners who receive cash assistance.
To ensure state aid is going to families in need and only spent on necessities, House Republicans are working on legislation that limits bridge card use to housing, personal toiletries, food, clothing, medicine and child care services.
It also requires merchants who accept bridge cards to verify the user’s identity. Many lawmakers support putting a picture on the card and penalizing merchants who knowingly accept bridge cards under false pretenses or for banned purchases.
College students who apply for a card will have to show proof that they cannot be claimed as a dependent on someone else’s tax returns, although students would still be eligible for a bridge card if the family is eligible under the income tax guidelines.
The legislation would require the state to cross check lists of state aid recipients with prisoners to make sure the incarcerated are not receiving benefits. Finally, the legislation would mimic other states by implementing random drug testing for welfare recipients.
Most everyone understands the need for a safety net, but hard-working taxpayers get really mad when they find out their money is not going to feed people in need but instead being wasted on things like cigarettes and Lotto tickets. The really sad thing is that abuses like these have been allowed to go on for so long. This is a problem we need to fix, and we need to fix it now.
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Why is it still allowed? There used to be vouchers issued to landlords and actual coupons rather than a “credit card”. Public service should be required of all obtaining assistance (not including the elderly and severely disabled). 40 hours a week sounds about right. No more soda, chips, candy etc. should be stopped asap also.