A bill, which proposes a name change for the PA Department of Public Welfare (DPW) to the Department of Human Services, passed in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives last year and in the state Senate last month.
The Senate has added an amendment, however, requiring shops that accept SNAP/food stamps and healthcare facilities that accept Medicaid to “post a sign containing information regarding the toll-free DHS fraud tip line.”
So much for reducing the unfair stigma of welfare – which was the whole point of the name change bill to begin with.
Public benefit programs, particularly SNAP, have been frequent targets for accusations of fraud. For years, food stamp recipients have been accused of cheating the system in one way or another. In reality, instances of SNAP fraud are now extremely rare due to the introduction of EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer) cards, which have removed most opportunity for fraud. The rate of fraud in the SNAP program in Pennsylvania is one of the lowest in the country – a fraction of the national average, which itself is only 1%.
| Portion of households receiving benefits that include children, elderly, or disabled people | |
|---|---|
| SNAP/food stamps | 76% |
| Medicaid | 73% |
Currently, EBT cards, which are plastic cards similar to debit or credit cards, are used by public benefit recipients to purchase food or pay for medical treatment.
Advocates, including Just Harvest, have been pushing for the DPW name change in order to reduce the stigma associated with the word “welfare”. Renaming the department “human services” would help promote recognition that all those in need of services – including the elderly, adults and children with physical or mental disabilities, foster children, victims of violence, and others – are human beings deserving of respect and dignity.
But this bill takes away with one hand what it provides with the other. What these “fraud” signs boil down to is just another way to provide a social stigma to those who are entitled to social services.
These signs, implying that EBT users are committing fraud, will publicly humiliate the most vulnerable in society and may discourage those who need help from seeking assistance.
Take Action:
Because of changes that the Senate made to the bill, it must, once again, pass in the Pennsylvania House before it can be approved by the Governor.
Call your state rep and tell him or her to strip the Senate signage rule out of the bill.
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