This one bears watching. The state of Mississippi has shifted its child support distribution from checks to debit cards. So far, so good. That could be a prudent measure to improve security and reduce administrative cost. But in the process, the state is making child support recipients wait several more days to get access to their money and requiring that they use one of three banks to access the money, or risk paying extra charges. Here’s a story about it from KLBT Channel 3 in Jackson.
Mississippi’s Department of Human Services has scheduled a news conference next week “to clear up the confusion and frustration.” Let’s hope that’s all it is. Let’s hope that Misssissippi isn’t forcing child support recipients to bank with its friends to get access to their money without incurring charges. Let’s hope that Mississippi isn’t making its children wait for their corn flakes so its banking friends can ride the float of millions of dollars of child support for a few extra days.