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The Washington Post reports:
A dollar bill is a special kind of thing. You can keep it as long as you like. You can pay for things with it. No one will ever charge you a fee. No one will ask any questions about your credit history. And other people won't try to tell you that they know how to spend that dollar better than you do.
For these reasons, cash is one of the most valuable resources a poor person in the United States can possess. Yet legislators in Kansas, not trusting the poor to use their money wisely, have voted to limit how much cash that welfare beneficiaries can receive, effectively reducing their overall benefits, as well.
The legislature placed a daily cap of $25 on cash withdrawals beginning July 1, which will force beneficiaries to make more frequent trips to the ATM to withdraw money from the debit cards used to pay public assistance benefits.
Since there's a fee for every withdrawal, the limit means that some families will get substantially less money.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 22 2015, @01:45PM
Can you pay your rent with a debit card? how about paying a one time babysitter so you can go to a job interview? Or give your child some money when they go on a class trip?
This isn't talking about food stamp type things to buy but for families in need.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 22 2015, @04:02PM
In developed countries you can.
You can also use your debit card in the store and withdraw cash at the same time in one transaction
(Score: 2, Informative) by Immerman on Friday May 22 2015, @04:22PM
Perhaps, but we're talking about the US.
(Score: 2) by urza9814 on Friday May 22 2015, @05:41PM
I've yet to see *anywhere* in the US that will put rent on a debit card. Check or maybe credit. And there's always a (fairly high) processing fee for credit.
Babysitters are generally going to be some college kid. Random college kids usually can't process debit cards.
There are also still a number of merchants which only accept cash. Usually these are small, local shops and often in low-income areas. Exactly the kind of place someone on public assistance might need to shop. I also know a TON of restaurants like this. It doesn't matter to most customers, because they always have an ATM right inside the door. But then you get charged a $3.50 fee. Lets them keep prices lower because they don't have to pay any transaction fees. Lower unless you're the guy who only has a debit card, that is...
There's also a lot of places (particularly gas stations) which charge a lower price for cash compared to credit/debit transactions. Withdraw a bunch of cash all at once for one flat fee, and you could save a couple bucks there as well.
(Score: 2) by Pslytely Psycho on Saturday May 23 2015, @08:31AM
Douglass properties lets you pay your rent via debit or credit online, but only started this about six months ago.
The BBB says : "No cash payments accepted at leasing offices. Cash payments are accepted at the corporate office location. We accept credit card payments over the phone. Credit card and ACH payments are both accepted through online bill pay."
I have been using my debit card for rent now for about four months, I love it.
I would of linked to their website, but it doesn't state this on the site, only in the contracts as an option. You can still use a money order, cashiers check, personal (pre-approved by the management) check if you want to.
Here is the BBB link however:http://www.bbb.org/eastern-washington/business-reviews/apartments/douglass-properties-in-spokane-wa-11001123/
The quote is under methods of payment about 3/4 of the way down.
I personally know of no other management company here that does the same, but I have lived here for years so it's not like I have much personal experience anyway. And Douglass gets an A+ rating from the BBB, the apartments are well maintained, priced fairly, with even the cheaper (mine) $495 per month rent complexes are run as well as the more expensive complexes. That's why I never moved.
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