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by dfxm12 1618 days ago
The covid test program is a universal benefit. If someone wants to burn them, that's their prerogative. I don't care. What's good practice is giving people the benefits they're entitled to. I don't understand why sending them to people who didn't explicitly ask for them isn't good practice. If there's an explicit opt out, OK, that's different. Benefits really shouldn't have to be opt-in though. Requiring opt-in costs money ands slows down, maybe even prevents, some receiving their benefit.

That's the problem, when you make it so hard for people who need benefits to get them, when you trap them in a constant web of confusing paperwork and means testing (and don't forget, all this bureaucracy, developing and reviewing paperwork, ain't cheap, either), it's easy to find fraud based on technicality, by filling out a form incorrectly, even if you're really entitled to something. It's also easy to make someone give up because they don't have the time or access to resources required to sign up.

In addition, with a lot of overhead, it makes it easier for states to abuse the system [0] as well. I get that this is a big mental block to overcome, but saying the government has to avoid waste and fraud in this way is a bit of a cop out.

0 - https://www.clickorlando.com/news/2021/07/14/florida-to-pay-...