Components of this campaign include messages to current check recipients about the law, about the safety and convenience of EFT, and about the way to sign up for Direct Deposit. Another key aspect of this campaign is educating those check recipients without bank accounts on how to maintain a bank account, including instruction on basic finances to help them make the best informed choices. A grassroots public outreach effort will involve identifying hundreds of local community organizations that will assist our efforts in reaching current check recipients. The public education campaign will use a variety of communications vehicles to reach recipients, including television, radio, direct mail, and check inserts. Treasury included Direct Deposit inserts in all Federal benefit checks mailed in April of this year.
Seamless coordination is a necessity if the public education campaign is going to succeed.
Each governmental entity must work in collaboration with the other, providing reinforcement, assistance and a shared set of objectives. In conclusion, Mr. Chairman, the Treasury Department believes that this legislative mandate provides an important opportunity for us to provide the high quality of service that our customers want and need, and at the same time to lower the cost to taxpayers. Benefit recipients have told us that they want to be able to receive their payments at points that are easily accessible and that increase their safety and security if this can be done at a reasonable cost. Our proposed regulations will attempt to address these needs. We welcome, encourage, and look forward to the public comments that we will receive on our proposal.