A staggering 672,483 new EBT playing cards have been added to the welfare rolls in somewhat over a 12 months — a tally that’s intensifying requires an audit of the welfare company.
The startling 34.6% soar is being reported from July of 2023 to final month by the state Division of Transitional Help.
The DTA mentioned late Tuesday that 218,000 of the brand new EBT playing cards are from the federally funded Summer time Baby Diet Program. The Herald has sought extra particulars concerning the 1000’s of different playing cards despatched out because the state faces price range constraints.
The company did say the “DTA currently has about 1 million clients” and “the number of active EBT cards is not indicative of the number of individuals receiving benefits, nor whether the card has any money on it.”
State Sen. Ryan Fattman, a Republican calling for an audit of the DTA, mentioned the confusion wants to finish, including “now is the time to look at waste.”
He added the doubt traces again to “what the Democrats did in the supplemental budget,” alluding to the December 2023 battle over $3.1 billion to partially fund the migrant disaster.
Just a few holdouts, all Republicans, pushed for passage of that tack-on price range in a proper session however in the end misplaced with Gov. Maura Healey signing the emergency funding into legislation simply earlier than the vacations.
Now, Fattman provides, the leap in EBT playing cards makes an audit he has requested — and has not obtained any replace on — much more very important. He’s pushing the Legislature to examine out-of-state spending of welfare {dollars} following the Herald’s two-part report on EBT expenditures from Hawaii to Alaska.
Fattman has been joined by GOP colleagues Bruce Tarr, Peter Durant and Patrick O’Connor in looking for a probe by the Senate Committee on Submit Audit and Oversight into EBT payments.
Inflation could possibly be an element within the EBT card progress, however the migrant disaster additionally has individuals asking if that could be a driving issue. The Herald has discovered migrants don’t qualify for EBT packages.
The newest EBT shocker was triggered by Kelly Dooner, a GOP candidate for an open state Senate seat in her hometown of Taunton, a group that has struggled with a rising migrant inhabitants in a resort shelter.
“This is more about a major oversight by the administration,” Dooner mentioned Tuesday. “It’s taxpayer money. These numbers are too high and yet the Legislature keeps turning its head. Yet, this is all falling on the backs of taxpayers.”
Dooner faces Democrat Joseph Pacheco and and impartial James DuPont Nov. 5 for the third Bristol and Plymouth District state Senate seat.
The DTA says its mission is to “empower low-income individuals and families to meet their basic needs, improve their quality of life, and achieve long-term economic self-sufficiency.” A spokesperson added that any “out-of-state usage beyond approved temporary absences can result in an individual no longer receiving assistance due to not meeting Massachusetts residency requirements.”
It’s all a part of the $3 billion — $3,050,090,786, to be actual — federal and state {dollars} given out in Fiscal 12 months 2024.
