鈥淭he goal of the EBT portal, called Families First,聽 is to provide an easy and convenient way for the state鈥檚 card users to access their account information, which can help them better manage their benefits,鈥� said Jennifer Velez, Commissioner of the Department of Human Services (DHS), which administers General Assistance (GA) welfare , Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) welfare and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) through its Division of Family Development (DFD). 鈥淭he availability of enhanced technology really allows us to offer users a helpful tool they can take on the go.鈥�
With just a login and password, Families First users now can check their balance, see their transaction history, change their pin or cancel a lost or stolen card. The website also has a section with frequently asked questions about where and how the EBT card can be used.
鈥淲e continue to consider new and innovative ways to help our clients , many of whom聽 are elderly, have a disability or are employed聽 and so may be , unable to always get to a place where they can review their account status,鈥� said Director of DFD, Jeanette Page-Hawkins.
Just last month, DFD launched a (app) to help custodial and non-custodial parents keep tabs on their cases while on the go.聽 Nearly 4,500 people have downloaded it to their Apple or Android devices. The app allows users to check payment status, track disbursements, monitor enforcement actions and schedule hearings.
As of , there was an estimated 400,000 child support cases, TANF had 34,308 enrollees, GA had 32,671 enrollees and SNAP had 439,000 enrollees.
A January 2014 Pew Research showed that 58% of American adults have a smartphone and 42% of American adults own a tablet computer.
鈥淭his research confirms many of our clients use a smart phone or computer and that it would be good customer service to make information about their benefits available to them in this way.鈥� Page-Hawkins added.
