The Adoption of Electronic Benefit Transfer Card for Delivering Food Stamp Benefits in Alabama: Perceptions of College Students Participating in the Food Stamp Program

Summary

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The reasons for moving from paper coupons to delivering food stamps electronically include potential reduction in the cost of administering the system and in fraud, theft and abuse of the system. Furthermore, the use of EBT is believed o reduce social stigma and embarrassment felt by recipients when using paper coupon. Therefore, using survey data collected from College Students participating in the Food Stamp Program in Alabama, the purpose of this study is to ascertain empirically if the use of EBT card for delivering food stamp benefits reduces food stamp fraud, theft, and embarrassment associated with the paper coupon. Results of descriptive analysis indicate that as expected, EBT card reduces fraud, theft, and embarrassment or social stigma associated with paper coupon. There was a common perception among these college students that the EBT system is a good way to receive food stamp benefits. Implications of the findings are discussed.

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Extract

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The Adoption of Electronic Benefit Transfer Card for Delivering Food Stamp Benefits in Alabama: Perceptions of College Students Participating in the Food Stamp Program

Changes in political structures and innovations in technology have altered the administration of federally-administered/state-operated benefit programs to recipients. Of special significance is the delivery system that has emerged in areas of food assistance program. In response to Vice President Gore's September 1993 call for the development of a nationwide system to deliver government benefits electronically, the Federal Electronic Benefits Transfe...

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