Latest news with #ElectronicBenefitTransfer
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
State: insufficient planning, funding pauses summer meals program
Officials with the Braun administration pointed to Gov. Eric Holcomb as the reason Indiana opted out of a student summer meals program. (Getty Images) Indiana Gov. Mike Braun's second-in-command, along with a key executive branch agency, pointed to a lack of planning under Gov. Eric Holcomb's administration as the reason hungry Hoosier schoolchildren won't be able to use a summer meals program. 'The previous administration did not file for SUN Bucks in the way they should have,' Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith told a crowd at a Zionsville town hall on Tuesday. 'I'm working with Gov. Braun to get those SUN Bucks dollars back.' 'A giant leap backwards': Indiana opts out of summer program for hungry schoolchildren That 'lapse,' along with other perceived failures of Holcomb, were part of what propelled the duo into office, Beckwith continued. Last year, 669,000 Hoosier children who qualified for food benefits and reduced-price school meals got an additional $120 while schools were closed for the summer, for a total of roughly $80 million. But Indiana opted out of the program this year, saying that Holcomb's administration hadn't done the legwork in advance of 2025. Oversight costs for the program would be roughly $3.7 million for the state, according to the administration, a tough sell following the state's projected $2 billion revenue shortfall earlier this year. In response, budget writers trimmed nearly every agency by 5% and sharply cut into economic development and public health programs. 'The successful implementation of the SUN Bucks program required early planning and strategic coordination to launch in Summer 2025. To ensure a timely rollout, the Division of Family Resources (DFR) needed clear direction from state leadership during late summer to early fall of 2024, during the prior administration,' Marcus Barlow told the Indiana Capital Chronicle. Barlow is the deputy chief of staff and director of the office of Strategic Communications and Public Affairs for the Family and Social Services Administration, which administers the program alongside the Department of Education. He said 'due to the complexity of procurement processes and system enhancements,' the Holcomb administration should have done the following before 2025, which is when Braun took office: Finalize contract amendments with the Electronic Benefit Transfer processor to allocate funding for Summer EBT Secure a system vendor to support technical enhancements and application processing for 2025 Summer EBT, or S-EBT, is the official name for the SUN Bucks program. The Food and Nutrition Service, part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, handles the program at the federal level. It's unclear what changed between the program's administration in 2024 and 2025 that necessitated such changes. In response to a follow-up question, Barlow noted that 'since that prior administration didn't move forward, no decisions were made regarding whether or not to use the same vendor.' 'Upon taking office, this administration quickly submitted a waiver application to the Food and Nutrition Service to explore all possible avenues for launching the program this summer. However, our review revealed that the gaps in prior preparations prevented implementation in time for Summer 2025,' Barlow said. That waiver application, dated for March 2025, appeared to indicate that the state was moving forward with the program and would be submitting a Plan for Operations and Management for approval under Braun's administration. However, Barlow didn't respond to further questions about that plan and whether it was submitted or approved, saying the Indiana Capital Chronicle would need to submit a records request for the document. The federal government also declined to share a copy of Indiana's plan or comment on whether it was submitted or approved. 'USDA Secretary (Brooke) Rollins believes in empowering states to tailor programs and policies to their specific circumstances, rather than imposing a one-size-fits-all approach. She recognizes that states are best equipped to understand their own populations and encourages them to explore innovative ideas to address their unique needs. Under Secretary Rollins, USDA is committed to engaging with Indiana to find bold and sustainable solutions that support and protect both participants and taxpayers,' a USDA spokesperson said. Barlow pointed to existing resources under the USDA's Site Finder Map and the Hunger Hotline for families to connect to food resources. The hotline is accessible Monday through Friday between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. Eastern Time at 1-866-3-HUNGRY (1-866-348-6479) for English speakers or at 1-877-8-HAMBRE (1-877-842-6273) for Spanish speakers. CONTACT US At the Tuesday town hall, the devout Beckwith continued on the topic of summer meals by saying that the state should 'take advantage' of the federal money being offered. 'We should go after that federal money,' Beckwith said to cheers. 'It's just going to go to a different state.' Additionally, the Noblesville pastor asked the faith community to step up in place of the state to 'be the hands and feet of Christ in these communities' this summer. 'I don't think the state is equipped to do it as well as nonprofits,' Beckwith concluded. '… It's a nonprofit's (and) faith community's job to do it. They can do it better than the state (and) far more efficiently.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Time of India
23-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Periodic KYC update in bank account to become easier; RBI proposes new draft rules, allows time till June 30, 2026, to do KYC for these customers
Time till June 30, 2026, to do KYC for these bank customers whose periodic KYC update is due Live Events Provide due notices for KYC updation to the customers Use Business Correspondent to do KYC in certain cases Simplification of periodic KYC updation Ease of KYC for first time customers The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued draft proposals for changes in the process of periodic updation of the Know-Your-Customer (KYC) in bank accounts. The proposed rules are expected to make bank customers' lives easier due to the requirement of periodic KYC updation As per the RBI, 'The Reserve Bank has observed a large pendency in periodic updation of KYC, including in the accounts opened for credit of Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT)/ Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) under Government schemes to facilitate credit of DBTs and/ or scholarship amount (DBT/ EBT/ scholarship beneficiaries) and accounts opened under PMJDY. Reserve Bank has also been receiving complaints regarding challenges faced by the customers in periodic updation of their KYC.'The comments on the draft Amendment Directions are invited from the public/ stakeholders tillAs indicated by the draft, bank customers will be in various risk categories. All bank customers are required to update their KYC periodically as communicated by their respective banks. As per the new rules, if a bank customer is categorised as low-risk, then he shall be allowed transactions for one year or till June 30, 2026, whichever is per the draft, 'Notwithstanding the provisions given above, in respect of an individual customer who is categorised as low risk, RE shall allow all transactions and ensure the updation of KYC within one year of its falling due for KYC or upto June 30, 2026, whichever is later. The RE shall subject accounts of such customers to regular monitoring. This shall also be applicable to low-risk individual customers for whom periodic updation of KYC has already fallen due.'The RBI, in its draft proposal, has asked the banks to provide adequate notices to the customers when the KYC in their bank accounts become due. The banks are required to give at least three advance intimation regarding periodic KYC per the draft proposal, 'RE shall intimate its customers, in advance, to update their KYC. Prior to due date of periodic updation of KYC, RE shall give at least three advance intimations, including at least one intimation by letter, at appropriate intervals to its customers through available communication options/ channels for complying with the requirement of periodic updation of KYC.'In case the customer is unable to do the periodic KYC updation within the due period, banks are required to give three reminders about the KYC as well.'Subsequent to the due date, RE shall give at least three reminders, including at least one reminder by letter, at appropriate intervals, to such customers who have still not complied with the requirements, despite advance intimations. The letter of intimation/ reminder may, inter alia, contain easy to understand instructions for updating KYC, escalation mechanism for seeking help, if required, and the consequences, if any, of failure to update their KYC in time. Issue of such advance intimation/ reminder shall be duly recorded in the RE's system,' as per the draft rule proposed by the RBI in its draft is the use of Business Correspondent (BC) by banks for the updation/periodic updation of KYC. This proposal will help the bank customers to visit their nearest BC to do the KYC as mandated under the KYC rules. However, customers can do their KYC via BC only if there is limited per the draft proposal, 'Self-declaration from the customer in case of no change in KYC information or change only in the address details may be obtained through an authorised BC of the bank. In such case, after successful biometric-based e-KYC authentication, the bank shall obtain the self-declaration, including the supporting documents, if required, from the customer through the BC. A bank may enable its BC systems for recording these self-declarations and supporting documents thereof in electronic form in the bank's systems. In case such an option is not available in the electronic mode and such a declaration is submitted in physical form by the customer, the BC shall authenticate the self-declaration and supporting documents submitted in person by the customer, and promptly forward the same to the concerned bank branch. The BC shall provide the customer an acknowledgement of receipt of such declaration /submission of documents. The bank branch shall update the customer's KYC records and intimate the customer once the records get updated in the system, as required under paragraph 38(c) of the Master Direction ibid. It is reiterated that the ultimate responsibility for periodic updation of KYC remains with the bank.'The RBI, in the draft, is proposing the simplification of updation and periodic KYC. This includes:i) Self-declarations - REs are allowed to obtain self-declaration regarding 'no change in KYC information' or 'a change only in address details' from customers using digital and non-digital modes, through customer's email / mobile number registered with the RE, ATMs, digital channels (such as online banking / internet banking, mobile application of RE), letter, BCs, etc.(ii) The updation/ periodic updation of KYC records are allowed to be carried out at any branch of the RE with which customer maintains the account.(iii) Aadhaar OTP based e-KYC and V-CIP are permitted for the purpose of updation/ periodic updation of KYC. (iv) REs have been directed to update customers' KYC information/ records based on the update notification received from from making the process of KYC updation easier, the RBI is also trying to ease the KYC process for first-time customers. The central bank has provided three ways for banks to do the KYC of first-time per the draft proposal, the customer's KYC can be done via Aadhaar biometric based e-KYC. 'Customer may be onboarded in face-to-face mode through Aadhaar biometric based e-KYC authenticating and, in such case, if customer wants to provide a current address, different from the address as per the identity information available in the UIDAI database (i.e., Central Identities Data Repository), he may give a self-declaration to that effect to the RE (ref. paragraph 16 of the Master Direction on KYC). Further, the Digital KYC process is also allowed for customer onboarding,' said the draft proposal.A bank can use either of the two ways to do KYC of a customer in NFTC mode. The first method is consent-based. As per the draft proposal, 'Consent-based onboarding of customer in NFTF mode may be done using Aadhaar OTP based e-KYC authentication which is subject to certain conditions (ref. paragraph 17 of the Master Direction on KYC). Further, such account shall be placed under strict monitoring, and Customer Due Diligence (CDD) procedure shall be completed within a year. 'The second method is the use of digital modes for KYC. 'Customer onboarding in NFTF mode using digital modes such as KYC Identifier, equivalent e-documents, documents issued through DigiLocker, and non-digital modes such as obtaining copy of OVD certified by additional certifying authorities as allowed for NRIs and PIOs are subject to certain conditions,' as per the draft third process is the video-based customer identification process (V-CIP). As per the RBI draft, the video based process is treated on par with face-to-face onboarding. 'V-CIP is an alternate method of Customer Due Diligence by an authorised official of the RE by undertaking seamless, secure, live, informed and consent-based audiovisual interaction with the customer to obtain identification information required for customer due diligence purpose.'
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Report outlines how New Mexico could counter federal food benefits cuts
In New Mexico, one quarter the population receives SNAP benefits, the highest rate of any state in the U.S., according to a report by New Mexico Voices for Children. (Photo by Shaun Griswold / Source NM) As the U.S. government considers cutting funding for the nation's most prominent food benefits program, advocates in New Mexico recommend the state government step in to protect and expand it. Nonprofit child advocacy organization New Mexico Voices for Children on Friday released a report outlining five recommendations for New Mexico to improve its Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps. The U.S. House Committee on Agriculture is expected on Tuesday to hold a 'markup' hearing to discuss how Republicans plan to cut federal funding for SNAP. The report, written by NM Voices Senior Research and Policy Analyst Emily Wildau, notes that while the U.S. Department of Agriculture administers SNAP, state governments manage applications, certify households and issue monthly benefits to participants' Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards. The proposed Republican cuts to SNAP, Medicaid and other programs 'will mean less food assistance for families and lead directly to higher costs for groceries, increased hunger, and significant harm for both local economies and state spending priorities over time,' the report continues. In New Mexico, one quarter the population receives SNAP benefits, the highest rate of any state in the U.S., according to the report, and out of all SNAP recipients in New Mexico, 38% are children and 62% are working. Overall, between 2015 and 2019, SNAP lifted an average of 60,000 New Mexicans, including 25,000 children, above the poverty line each yea, 'It is critical that advocates work to protect SNAP benefits and enact important reforms at the state level that can counter these federal attacks,' the report states. Wildau's report contains five recommendations on how the state of New Mexico should support the SNAP program. First among them: codify the state's SNAP Outreach Plan into state law, which would require the state Health Care Authority to submit an annual outreach plan to the federal government. This would allow nonprofits working with the state government to use federal matching funds to distribute food to SNAP recipients, the report says. Both chambers of the New Mexico Legislature unanimously passed this proposal in the most recent legislative session but Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham vetoed it. The governor wrote that the legislation is unnecessary because 90% of New Mexicans who are eligible for the benefits already receive them. 'We continue to invite collaboration with advocacy groups to discuss ways to make meaningful improvements to our programs,' the governor wrote. NM Voices also recommends that New Mexico streamline the SNAP application process so eligible New Mexicans have lower barriers to benefits. Currently, someone can initially apply for SNAP online but cannot report changes in income or renew their benefits online, the report says. Last fall, New Mexico extended the SNAP exit threshold to 200% of the federal poverty level, up from 165% last year. This means people can continue to receive SNAP even if their income is twice the federal poverty line. Paige Knight, research director at NM Voices, told Source NM in an interview that the group's recommendations could change as the proposed federal cuts become reality. 'Whatever happens federally, we may need to update some of those recommendations based on what's feasible, what changed federally, and make adjustments,' she said. The report's third recommendation is for New Mexico to continue softening the SNAP benefit cliff, which is when someone loses eligibility for benefits when their income exceeds the program's income eligibility limit. The state government could create its own SNAP benefit for households that have recently lost eligibility after increasing their incomes above 200% of the federal poverty lines, and provide an extended benefit for several months to allow families to continue saving money as they transition out of SNAP, Wildau wrote. New Mexico could also expand the program to reach more people by treating child support payments as an income exclusion rather than a tax deduction, which would lower a household's taxable income, the report notes. Finally, the report recommends New Mexico provide SNAP to immigrant households with children who are ineligible for the benefits under federal regulations, and provide protections and education to immigrant families who can receive SNAP but may fear repercussions 'due to the changing federal landscape.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Yahoo
SNAP thefts surpass $3.6M since December
CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) – Stolen SNAP benefits are becoming a growing concern, especially when it comes to skimming and phishing incidents. The rate of SNAP theft is on the rise, with a million dollars stolen monthly from residents' accounts, according to the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, an advocacy group for low-income families. The advocacy group says roughly 7,800 Massachusetts families have had more than $3.6 million stolen from their accounts since mid-December. Criminals are increasingly targeting Electronic Benefit Transfer cards used for SNAP. They're installing devices at ATMs and point-of-sale terminals to steal card information, which they then use to make fake cards and steal benefits. Director of the Springfield Mayor's Office of Consumer Information, Milagros Johnson, told 22News, 'Never, never, ever share your information or your PIN with anyone over the phone who calls you. And you can also be called DTA and ask that the funds go directly into your bank account rather than an empty card. That way, you have the money available in your bank account. You withdraw, which you're going to need.' The Department of Transitional Assistance has a free Connect mobile app for download. This is a new EBT card locking feature that allows people to control when their card is usable by locking and unlocking it through the app. When an EBT card is locked, benefits can't be stolen. It's also recommended to change your EBT PIN every month. The DTA is also pursuing chipped EBT card technology. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Business Wire
06-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Kasada's Q1 2025 Threat Intel Report Uncovers ALTSRUS 'Reverse Robin Hood' Fraud Syndicate
NEW YORK & SYDNEY--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Kasada, the pioneers transcending bot management by countering the human minds behind automated threats, today released its Q1 2025 Quarterly Threat Report, calling out a fraud syndicate known as ALTSRUS that has been actively stealing and selling accounts connected to Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT), pharmacy prescriptions, and consumer rewards programs. The group's operations have scaled significantly while profiting from those already facing financial hardship. 'While the security world often focuses on protecting high-value assets, groups like ALTSRUS remind us that no target is off-limits,' said Sam Crowther, CEO and founder of Kasada. Kasada's threat intelligence team refers to ALTSRUS as the 'Reverse Robin Hood' because of its focus on taking from those who are financially disadvantaged to fuel its own criminal enterprise. In the first quarter of 2025 alone, ALTSRUS sold more than 220,000 stolen accounts, marking a 2,852% year-over-year increase in activity. The group expanded its fraud campaigns to span 13 industries, illustrating the growing scale and adaptability of modern organized fraud. 'While the security world often focuses on protecting high-value assets, groups like ALTSRUS remind us that no target is off-limits,' said Sam Crowther, CEO and founder of Kasada. 'They're even willing to compromise access to food and critical medications to turn a profit.' Key Insights from Kasada's Q1 2025 Quarterly Threat Report Account takeover (ATO) remained the most prevalent and impactful type of automated threat throughout Q1. Criminal marketplaces hit a peak of nearly 2.5 million stolen accounts for sale, far outpacing other types of listings. Webmail services, retail, and social networks accounted for 67% of observed stolen account sales. The Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) industry saw a 96% spike in compromised account sales. CAPTCHA solver services are being weaponized to passively facilitate criminal activities. 'The tools used to conduct account takeover attacks are now more advanced and widely accessible,' said Nick Rieniets, Field CTO at Kasada. 'Our investigations into underground credential stuffing groups reveal the inner workings of this cybercrime ecosystem, exposing gaps in traditional defenses. Organizations need proactive threat intelligence, along with modern anti-automation detection, to strengthen authentication practices beyond just MFA.' About the Report Kasada's Q1 2025 Quarterly Threat Report is based on investigations and analysis conducted by the company's in-house research team through KasadaIQ for Fraud. The report provides an inside look at the tactics used by ALTSRUS, the latest account takeover attack trends, and the evolving criminal marketplace ecosystem. About Kasada Kasada has developed a radical approach to defeating automated cyber threats based on its unmatched understanding of the human minds behind them. The Kasada platform overcomes the shortcomings of traditional bot management to provide immediate and enduring protection for web, mobile, and API channels. Its invisible, dynamic defenses provide a seamless user experience and eliminate the need for ineffective, annoying CAPTCHAs. Our team handles the bots so clients have freedom to focus on growing their businesses, not defending it. Kasada is based in New York and Sydney, with hubs in Melbourne, Boston, San Francisco, and London. For more information, please visit and follow on X, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
