If you are newly unemployed in 30 states you have the option of recieving your unemployment check by mail (10 day wait) or on a debit card.

If you choose debit card,,, please be advised that there are lots of little fees that go along with it.

Here's the news article from CNN:
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with warm regards,
Tony

From the article:
Quote:

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, 30 states offer direct deposit cards to the unemployed.

My question is, are these just debit cards that have your unemployment wages on it, or is the money direct deposited into your account, and you get the card to use as a convenience?  If it's all on the debit card, then how do you pay bills? Can it be transferred to your bank account? (I'm sure there would be a big fee for that). Not to mention if you don't use it for awhile (fee for non-usage = ?)

Of course, the banks aren't making any money nowadays anyway (NOT), so why not hit up the unemployed for a few buck a month?  >:(

ETA, why not just have direct deposit in the first place, go straight into your bank account. Keep the cards for those without accounts.

Don't know what its like in the USA but i've been recently put out to grass as it were and it seems that if you've worked all your life(like I have) you can't get any help, or its pretty difficult to find a way round the social security circus, (how are you to be expected to live on £60 a week) thought about selling my body but it would only by a packet of smokes.( the cheapest brand)
Colin.

I wondered the same things Chris... but from the article it only mentioned two options... a check by mail or a debit card... which kinda forces you to activate the transaction fee monster. Those strapped for cash may not be able to wait the 10 days for the check... and I agree.. if you go the route of the debit card... just make one transaction... transfer it all into another no fee account.

with warm regards,
Tony

Spitzer set up a sweet deal for his cronies. Unemployment was paid to debit cards. The accounts were in Chase bank which only has branches in major cities of the state. There was no check option. You could get cash but it was a pain and you could only withdrawal $200 a day. I guess he also wanted to track peaples spending.

  Now that Spitzer is disposed we can also direct deposit to our own accounts.

Paul

After working with the government as a contractor for x number of years let me tell you what happened, they got bamboozled and we got screwed.