State Assistance Card Service Restored

by Hugh McQuaid | Nov 16, 2012 2:03pm
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Posted to: Business

The debit card service Connecticut uses to issue benefits to low-income individuals and families was restored Friday afternoon following several hours of downtime caused by technical problems at J.P. Morgan Electronic Financial Services, the contractor the state uses to administer the cards.

The Social Services Department issued a follow-up statement Friday afternoon saying the service had been restored.

“This means that SNAP (food stamps) and cash assistance recipients can use their EBT cards to access benefits, as normal,” the press release said.

DSS first reported the problem around noon in a press release, saying people who rely on the cards to access benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or other cash assistance programs would be unable to do so until the problem was rectified.

J.P Morgan notified the state of its computer breakdown Friday morning and said it was working to restore the card system.

Card holders in New York, Florida, Indiana, South Carolina, West Virginia, Delaware, Georgia, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania have also had their service disrupted.

State Treasurer Denise Nappier entered into a new contract with J.P. Morgan earlier this year and moved to have income tax returns issued on the debit cards rather than by check. The state also uses the cards to pay out unemployment benefits. The Department of Social Services contract with J.P. Morgan Chase is held separately from the treasurer’s contract.

Tags: JP Morgan Chase, SNAP

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