TOPEKA, Kan., Oct. 13 -- The Kansas Department of Labor issued the following news release:
The Kansas Department of Labor (KDOL) will replace thousands of costly paper checks mailed to recipients of unemployment benefits with easy-to-use debit cards under a contract with Citi Prepaid Services, KDOL Secretary Jim Garner announced today.
Instead of the current paper checks most Kansas claimants receive, unemployment insurance payments will soon be delivered electronically onto debit cards, making the process for payment of unemployment benefits more secure and convenient.
To do this, KDOL has teamed up with Citi Prepaid Services, a division of Citi´s Global Transaction Services business. Under its contract with KDOL, Citi Prepaid Services will provide faster, more dependable payment delivery; widespread, economical fund access; and secure, real-time account control.
"We are catching up with how most folks do their daily financial activities and this allows us to provide better and more efficient customer service. By replacing our paper checks with the new debit card, benefits payments will now be delivered faster and in a convenient, secure and economical way," Garner said. "This program also benefits taxpayers by improving efficiencies and reducing operational costs."
KDOL expects to save over $300,000 annually in postage and paper costs by switching to debit cards.
Each eligible claimant will receive a personalized Citi Prepaid Visa Card that allows them to make retail purchases everywhere Visa debit cards are accepted worldwide and access cash at nearly one million ATMs. Their Citi Prepaid Visa Card is reloaded each week they receive unemployment benefits. Citi Prepaid Services also will provide comprehensive 24/7 multilingual customer service and real-time account management and control, which will be available through toll-free phone, online, e-mail or mobile phone text message services.
"We're excited to partner with the Kansas Department of Labor to help revolutionize their unemployment payments from a burdensome manual check process to an efficient, electronic solution that benefits their claimants, taxpayers and the state as a whole," said Matt Gillin, CEO of Citi Prepaid Services. "More and more public sector agencies are taking advantage of the efficiency and cost effectiveness of our prepaid solutions and leveraging the widespread benefits to their citizens, government and even the environment as a whole with massive reductions in paper checks."
To provide the most flexibility possible, claimants will continue to have the option to receive their benefit payments through direct deposit to their own designated account at a financial institution.
About Citi Prepaid Services
Citi Prepaid Services (formerly Ecount) is a leading provider of innovative prepaid solutions. Through a consultative approach, Citi Prepaid provides clients with comprehensive electronic payment programs that reduce costs, enhance operational efficiencies and provide an unmatched user experience. Leveraging an extensive payment platform and proprietary prepaid technology, clients around the world depend on Citi Prepaid's custom programs for all types of payments including compensation, promotions and disbursements.
HTS anak 081014-1923837 HTOkumarA
