Massachusetts added 672,483 electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards to its welfare rolls in 2023-2024, according to City Councilmember Kelly Dooner, who spoke to local news outlets.
The state had only 1.9 million active EBT cards in July 2023, but as of Sept. 1, there were more than 2.6 million, Doehner said after receiving a Freedom of Information Act request. He cited the record. According to New Bedford Guide.
The state’s Transitional Assistance Agency (DTA) issues the cards, which are funded through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), a federal program that provides monthly benefits to low-income people.
Despite the number of EBT cards issued, DTA has 1 million customers in the state, Dooner learned.
“When you have 1 million so-called clients and 2.6 million cards are being used, obviously there is a huge issue of liability. We need to make sure that it is used for the purpose of said.
Doerner asked the state auditor, Democrat Diana DiZoglio, to audit the program, the newspaper said.
The Massachusetts Republican Party joined Doerner’s call, pointing out that “these numbers simply don’t add up.”
672,483 new EBT cards were issued in 14 months, an increase of 34.6%. With 2.6 million active cards, these numbers don’t add up. MassGOP supports @Kelly4StateRep They are calling for a full audit. Taxpayers have accountability!#Mapoli #MassRepublican
See below for details. ⬇️https://t.co/Vy28Wgsrsr— MassGOP (@masgop) October 9, 2024
“We are already conducting an audit of DTA because it is imperative that we root out waste, fraud, and abuse,” DiZoglio told the Daily Caller in a statement. “Council Dooner’s team has already contacted our office and we look forward to discussing this important issue.”
Amy Carnevale, chairwoman of the Massachusetts Republican Party, theorized that the rapid increase may be due to a recent influx of immigrants.
“While there is likely a link between the influx of immigrants and the 672,483 new EBT cards, we won’t know the full story until a comprehensive audit of the system is conducted,” Carnevale said. (Related: Blue state authorities ‘ignore’ detainees and release illegal immigrant charged with child rape, ICE says)
According to the Boston Herald, welfare recipients in Massachusetts previously used EBT cards at resorts in Hawaii, the U.S. Virgin Islands, California, Florida and Alaska. report Published in September.
