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OFFICE OF THE MAYOR
CITY OF CHICAGO
PROCLAMATION
WHEREAS, the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Federal Reserve Banks have launched Go Direct/Direct Express, a national campaign organized to encourage people to use direct deposit or the Direct Express prepaid debit card for the receipt of a social Security and other federal benefits; and
WHEREAS, direct deposit payments and more secure, reliable and convenient than paper checks and save taxpayers time and money; and
WHEREAS, nine out of ten times, problems with Social Security payments result from the use of a paper check, not an electronic payment; and
WHEREAS, in 2008, 70,000 paper checks issued by the Treasury fell prey to endorsement forgies, totaling more than $64,000,000 nationwide; and
WHEREAS, in Illinois alone, almost 331,000 Social Security and SSI income checks are issued each month which, if converted to electronic payments, would have saved our taaxpayers more than $3.7 million; and
WHEREAS, the U.S. Department of Treasury and the Federal Reserve Banks have joined together with American Chartered Bank, the Center for Economic Progress, the Chicago Housing Authority, the Chicago Police Department, the Chicago Public Library, the City of Chicago Aldermen, the Department of Family and Support Services, the City of Chicago Treasurer's Office, the Illinois State Treasurer's Office, the Internal Revenue Service, the Mayor's Office for people with Disabilities and the Social Security Administration to educate the citizens of Chicago about the benefits of using direct deposit and assist people during the enrollment process:
NOW, THEREFORE, I, RICHARD M. DALEY, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF CHICAGO, do hereby proclaim February, 2010, to be GO DIRECT/DIRECT EXPRESS MONTH IN CHICAGO, and encourage all Chicagoans to be aware of the advantages of using electronic payments and to take part in the events scheduled for this month.
GO DIRECT
National campaign aims to make life safer, easier for people who get Social Security and SSI
Direct deposit is safer, easier and more convenient than getting a paper check in the mail. Yet despite the advantages, many people who rely on Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) still get checks.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Federal Reserves Banks are sponsoring Go Direct , a campaign to motivate people who receive federal benefit checks to use direct deposit.
WHAT: Go Direct reaches out people through organizations they know and trust to inform them about the many benefits of direct deposit and help them sign up. Through events and media, Go Direct works to encourage people to switch to direct deposit.
WHY: Direct deposit is simply the best way for people to get their Social Security and SSI payments because it eliminates the risk of lost or stolen checks, reduces fraud and gives them more control over their money. Plus, direct deposit allows immediate access to funds from virtually anywhere.
A simple action like enrolling in direct deposit can offer much-needed peace of mind to people who get Social Security benefits, most of whom are seniors and people with disabilities.
In addition, direct deposit saves taxpayers money- if everyone who currently gets a federal benefit check switched to direct deposit, it would save taxpayers millions of dollars annually. Most of the money saved as a result of Go Direct will be used to cover the costs of future Social Security payments- a benefit to all Americans for generations to come. This is especially revelant today, given that the first wave of baby boomers has started reaching retirement age.
WHO: Treasury's Financial Management Service and Federal reserve Banks are working with partners to implement the campaign. Partnerships with banks, credit unions, social service agencies, community based organizations are vital to the campaign's success in communicating to Go Direct message.
WHEN: the national campaign kicked off in fall 2005.
HOW: People who get Sopcial security and SSI checks are culturally, economically, geographically and socially diverse. To reach them all, the campaign relies on partners to communicate the Go Direct message, along with media outreach, campaign material, and Web sites in English and Spanish (www.GoDirect.org and www.DirectoASuCuenta.org ). The campaign makes it easy for people to sign up for direct deposit- they can call the Go Direct helpline at (800) 333-1795, visit www.GoDirect.org to sign up online or stop in their local financial institute or Social Security Administration office to make the switch.
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