COMMENTARY | The Associated Press reports that starting in March 2013, all government benefit checks will be deposited electronically, which means that there will be no more paper checks going into the mail. Millions of people will be impacted by this move, including those that receive Social Security, federal disability, and veterans’ benefits. As an American concerned with the national debt and excessive federal spending, here is why going electronic is the best thing for everyone.
The best part about this news is that it will decrease the number of benefit checks that are either lost or stolen, which can be a huge hassle for the intended recipient of the check. Over 540,000 benefit checks were lost or stolen in 2010, which just goes to show just how desperate some people have become since the economy went downhill. When checks are stolen, there is a long process that the recipient has to go through in order to get another check, since the initial check has to be stopped, and another check has to be mailed out. If everyone has to move to a direct deposit system, then there will not be any lost checks in the mail, and it will be harder for thieves to steal the money, since it will be in a bank account.
Moving to an electronic payment is also great because it is going to save the government a lot of money, since it costs money to print and mail out checks to everyone. Using a direct deposit system will free up a lot of money the government spends on benefit programs, since there are no stamps or envelopes to worry about. Direct deposit will make it easier for government workers to go into the system to change information when needed, such as a change of address for a recipient. This move can also decrease the number of government workers needed to run the benefit programs, which might also help decrease the size of the government overall. I think that using direct deposit systems could also help the government save money when it comes to paying workers, since it is less likely workers will need to work the same number of hours to keep everything flowing properly.
The only issue I have with this is I worry about the older Americans, since not everyone has the same knowledge about technology, and some just do not want to accept innovation. Older Americans are less enthusiastic about change, especially when it comes to using an electronic system instead of a paper system. I know a lot of older citizens that hate direct deposit and electronic payment systems, and would much rather have a piece of paper in hand for their own peace of mind. I think the best thing we can do is help those that receive government benefits when it comes to the Internet, and teach them how to keep track of direct deposits through online banking.
