EBT Privacy

[Meherenow]

I JUST wanted to know if the state government has a RIGHT to demand I tell my employer that I've gotten EBT! Is that so hard to understand????? I've been through HELL the last year! Thanks for your understanding! The form doesn't have a number, it's called "Employer Verification of Earnings", I've ALREADY sent in my pay stubs, isn't that enough? Excuse me for asking! But I'm done here. Every time I go to one of these stupid sites for some info from supposed people who know, I get slammed. I'm done. Have a nice life.

And Ohiogal's attitude shows the exact reason why I don't want to tell anyone I'm on EBT.

 

[quincy]

You really should vote, Meherenow. Your vote is your voice and your voice is important, regardless of your views.

Michigan, by the way, has similar forms that must be turned in by not only an aid recipient but by the recipient's employer as well. It is a way of verifying hours and income. Most employers in Michigan have received these forms to fill out and it really is not considered that big of a deal. No one is oblivious to the economic conditions and the need of many to seek government assistance.

Good luck with your continued recovery.

 

[CSO286]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Wisconsin

I'm a nurse, caught Lyme last summer and was paralyzed for several months. I lost my job, (couldn't work in a trauma hospital from a wheelchair), went on disability and receiving EBT benefits for the last few months. After a year of treatment and intense physical therapy I'm back on my feet and getting back to work albeit slowly. I just started a new part time nursing job a month ago and frankly, I've been dealing with this for a year and can't wait to get back to 100% and working full time and off assistance. I notified SSDI and EBT of my new part time job, also sent both SSDI and EBT my first and only pay stub so far. I want to do everything correctly. SSDI is perfectly happy with my sending them pay stubs monthly, no other questions asked. But my question is this, even though I've sent my pay stub to WI Foodshare, (EBT), they sent me a rather long form for my new employer to fill out and sign. I feel very uncomfortable with this, I feel it's none of my new employer's business that I've had to rely on assistance and it seems to me to be an infringement on my privacy. Am I wrong? Do I lose my right to privacy because I'm getting assistance? If so I'm thinking to hell with the EBT rather than ask my new employer to fill out the lengthy form and telling her I'm on assistance. Don't I have any right to privacy? Thanks for your advice.

No, you waived your right to privacy when you applied for public assistance.

In order to maintain your eligibility, you must provide income and asset information which the public authority must then verify to calculate how much you can receive in benefit. Some of the required verifications require the workers to contact your employer, your landlord, your bank, etc.

Why must they do this? Because in the no too distant past (and even now), many people would lie to collect food support, cash assistance and medicaid. Some would falsify documents, give fake rental info and lie in every possible manner.

This is why it can seem overwhelmingly difficult for people in need of help to go through the process of asking for it. The paperwork and verifications required can seem insurmountable.

 

[CSO286]

I JUST wanted to know if the state government has a RIGHT to demand I tell my employer that I've gotten EBT! Is that so hard to understand?????

I'd like to point out one last thing. The paperwork doesn't tell your employer that you are recieving cash, food or medical benefits. They indicate that you've applied for them--but it don't specify which benefits you've applied for.

And the government doesn't DEMAND these things. They allow you a choice. IF you choose to apply for goverment assistance, then you choose to provide the information needed to calcualte the appropriate benefits.

If you choose not to follow through by assisting the Agency with obtaining this information then you are choosing not to recieve the aforementioned benefits.

As a taxpayer, I like to know that when my tax dollars are being used to assist welfare recipients, that those recipients are truly in need and not attempting to defraud the system. I like those safeguards.

 

[tranquility]

Still waiting for the form # and/or if there were other indicia of a problem causing a more detailed investigation.

 

[ecmst12]

I found the form and still trying to figure out your state's web site, but it *appears* that your pay stubs for the last 30 days *may* be sufficient to verify your income; the instructions I can find say pay stubs OR employer verification of earnings form.
http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/em/ops-memos/2008/pdf/08-31-attach4.pdf

Clarify with your caseworker or your caseworker's boss, but it does not look like you need to get the form filled out if you have provided your pay stubs.

And really, be less defensive. No one is attacking you just because you needed to apply for aid. It doesn't make you a lesser person, but clearly you FEEL like it does, and are being very sensitive about the entire subject.

 

[Ohiogal]

I JUST wanted to know if the state government has a RIGHT to demand I tell my employer that I've gotten EBT! Is that so hard to understand????? I've been through HELL the last year! Thanks for your understanding! The form doesn't have a number, it's called "Employer Verification of Earnings", I've ALREADY sent in my pay stubs, isn't that enough? Excuse me for asking! But I'm done here. Every time I go to one of these stupid sites for some info from supposed people who know, I get slammed. I'm done. Have a nice life.

And Ohiogal's attitude shows the exact reason why I don't want to tell anyone I'm on EBT.

No, it is NOT enough. My attitude? You are hilarious. I never judged you once for being on foodstamps. I stated a fact. You lose privacy when you apply for state/government aid. Either fill out the form or don't get aid. It is that simple. The fact that you don't like those choices is NOT my fault.

 

[ecmst12]

Actually OG, I'm pretty sure sending the pay stubs IS enough, since I've actually READ the requirements and you apparently have not.

 

[Ohiogal]

Actually OG, I'm pretty sure sending the pay stubs IS enough, since I've actually READ the requirements and you apparently have not.

I was speaking to the idea of OP having PRIVACY and talking about that. Sending paystubs is a loss of privacy. Verification of employment is a loss of privacy. Giving information to get aid all involves a loss of privacy. Nor did I judge this OP about being on food stamps. If sending pay stubs is enough, fine. My point is if it is required to get aid, she has to do it. If she doesn't choose to do it, then she is NOT going to get aid. Regardless of whether or not she COULD qualify. Qualifying for aid that one is "entitled" to means that the person has MET ALL OF THE CRITERIA for said aid. It is a choice.

And if sending paystubs fine. That was not my point. I based the need on giving the form to her employer on what she said. She said the caseworker required that form and then she stomped her feet and cried about it not being fair because of her privacy rights. If the requirements say pay stubs is enough, fine. That is STILL a loss of OP's privacy. Because EBT can still contact her employer to verify.

 

[justalayman]

So it's okay for state government to demand that in order to receive benefits which I'm entitled to get, I must go into my new boss' office and tell her, "oh by the way, I've been getting food stamps, would you fill out this form and fax it to the state?" And because I find this an invasion of privacy, ie, I shouldn't have to tell my new employer that I've been getting food stamps, I should forfeit my right to receive said benefits? I've been working over 40 years, and paying lots of taxes over those years, this is the first and only time I've had to ask for help in my life, so because I need some help I don't have a right to privacy? This makes me very, very angry. I had no idea they did this to people. But I guess I'm the only one who finds this practice unacceptable. Interesting.

you can look at it this way;


either the employer fills out the form

OR

the employer is contacted and asked the information you provided on the form to verify that it is correct.

The state absolutely has a right to verify your statements are correct and honest. You would never suspect it but welfare fraud is a really big problem in our country. Because of that, the state is going to check on what they can to make sure a beneficiary is actually qualified for the benefits.


so, if you do not want your employer to know you are on food stamps, you have two choices; quit your job or quit food stamps.

 

[CSO286]

I'd like to point out that the application OP signed included consent to verifiy all information she provided.
I work down the hall from eligibility workers who process Food Support, Cash TANF, and medicaid programs. As a rule, even once they have paystubs from an applicant, they still send out the employer verification. Espicially in cases where an applicant has started or stopped employment.

You'd be surprised how many people [try to] fudge their beginning/end dates to quailify to to skip inclusion of the first or last paycheck into the income calcs.

 

[cbg]

The state has a right to confirm the income of those who are asking for assistance that is to be provided by the taxpayers. If that means confirmation from the employer, so be it.

 

[ecmst12]

If you do need to get the form filled out, you still don't have to give it directly to your supervisor. You can go to your HR rep and ask that person to please complete the form. That might be easier since you don't work directly with HR or see them everyday, and they are used to filling out this type of form for people.

 

[CSO286]

If you do need to get the form filled out, you still don't have to give it directly to your supervisor. You can go to your HR rep and ask that person to please complete the form. That might be easier since you don't work directly with HR or see them everyday, and they are used to filling out this type of form for people.

It is also possible that the Public Authority has requested simply that the OP sign an authorization that the worker will then send to the employer. Our office does this since many people will simply have someone they know fill in their rental/employment/income info and forge signatures.

 

[davew128]

Sad you'll believe someone who thinks God is an alien and he will be one, too, someday if he's a good boy.

As opposed to believing a god exists because some charismatic stoner 2,000 years ago said so.