Policy Analysis
Policy Briefs, Reports & Press Releases
- New Rules Kick In For Social Security And SSI On May 1, Apr. 29, 2011
- Consumer Facts: Your Right to Know - DIRECT EXPRESS® PREPAID DEBIT CARD FOR SOCIAL SECURITY, SSI AND OTHER FEDERAL PAYMENTS
- Effective May 1, a new Treasury rule creates automatic, self-enforcing restrictions on garnishment of electronically-deposited Social Security, SSI and other federal benefits! This special NCLC REPORTS issue examines all aspects of this new rule protecting exempt funds from garnishment.
- Past, Present and Future Threats to Federal Safety Net Benefits in Bank Accounts, Margot F. Saunders, Johnson M. Tyler, University of North Carolina Banking Law Journal, 2012
- Runaway Bandwagon: How the Government’s Push for Direct Deposit of Social Security Exposes Seniors to Predatory Bank Loans Report, July 2010
- Direct Deposit of Federal Wages and Benefits to Prepaid and Stored Value Cards, July 13, 2010
- 7 Essentials for Consumer-Safe Prepaid Cards (presentation to Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia), April 2010
- Protections Needed for Prepaid Payroll, Unemployment Benefits, Child Support, and Other Prepaid Payment Cards, 2009
Letters
- Letter to Social Security Administration re: Opposing Final Rule on Garnishment of Accounts Containing Federal Benefit Payments, Feb. 23, 2012
- Letter Supporting Benefit Card Fairness Act, H.R. 4552, May 2, 2010
Comments
- Comments and Appendices on promoting TANF cash access without fees, June 8, 2012.
- Comments regarding the Interim Final Rule on Garnishment of Accounts Containing Federal Benefit Payments, May 25, 2011
- Comments by the National Consumer Law Center on behalf of its low income clients as well as Consumer Federation of America and Consumers Union regarding the Interim Final Rule allowing federal payments to be deposited on prepaid cards, April 25, 2011
- Comments on the Treasury Department's proposal to mandate all electronic deposits by 2013, August 16, 2010
- Comments to Treasury Proposed Rule on Garnishment of Federal Benefit Payments, June 18, 2010
- Comments to the Social Security Administration Regarding the Use of Master and Sub Accounts and Other Account Arrangements for the Payment of Benefits Docket No. SSA 2008-0023, 2008
- Comments to the Federal Regulators on the InterAgency Guidance on Exempt Benefits, 2007
- Comments: NCLC, Consumers Union, and eight other groups to USDA on Proposed Changes to Food Stamps EBT Regulations, September 2001
Testimony
- Testimony of Margot Saunders before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee re: Impact on Recipients of the Mandate for Direct Deposit of Social Security Benefits, September 12, 2012
- Testimony of Margot Saunders before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee re: Protecting Social Security Benefits from Predatory Lending and Other Harmful Financial Institution Practices, June 24, 2008
- Frozen Out: A Review of Bank Treatment of Social Security Benefits, Testimony before the Committee on Finance and Appendices to Testimony, 2007
- Testimony: before the Committee on Financial Services, Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, regarding the EFT Requirements of the Debt Collection Improvements Act of 1996 and the Use of ETAs, 2001
Webinars
- New Rules on Protection and Electronic Payment of Social Security, May 11, 2011 (Margot Saunders, Lauren Saunders) Presentation Recording
- Public Benefits and Wages on Prepaid Cards (Power Point), November 2010