J.P. Morgan EFS is the contracted EBT Card processor in several states but, they have been processing illegal charges for sales tax, card processing fees in several U.S. Cities, including San Francisco. This article is part of a series that addresses some dirty little secrets behind EBT Card Food Stamp programs. J.P. Morgan EFS is contracted to process EBT transactions for millions of EBT Card Holders and provide training for the employees of the stores, restaurants, markets and cafes that accept Food Stamp Food Benefits. Due to lack of oversight by J.P. Morgan EFS and local and state government, millions of dollars worth of taxes, processing fees and surcharges (card holder charged higher price for food than the menu or price tag states, for food and beverages only because they are using Food Stamps) over the past several years. All EBT Card Holders are rightfully entitled to receive compensation for these highly predictable, known, preventable and illegal charges. All three groups involved in these illegal transactions share some measure of responsibility for their negligent handling and processing of EBT Cards. EBT Cards are the electronic method of purchasing food stuffs under the USDA Food Stamp Program which is supposed to be regulated and monitored by local and state agencies. Most people that are unable to cook in their own homes for themselves, such as is the case with elderly, mentally and physically ill, poor and homeless persons (including those that live in homeless shelters) are given monthly Food Benefits that can be used in many cities, to purchase hot and cold food at participating restaurants, stores, cafes and markets. Program participants that sell the food; J.P. Morgan EFS (and other EBT Card processing contracting companies)that is supposed to properly train them; and our government tax authorities have all been cited in several official government audits as being fully aware that these charges are illegal, yet they happen every day at both local and nationally franchised restuarants and markets like Subway Sandwiches and Kroger Supermarkets. These audits cite many failures in which the employees that ring up the food sales at cash registers are not trained properly and the contracted EBT Processors have not been processing and performed adequate account reconciliations or apparently made any attempt to refund illegal charges back into the accounts of millions of EBT Card Holders, nationwide. Instead, firms like J.P. Morgan EFS just stick the money into 'slush' accounts under the heading of 'unapplied' EBT Overpayments. These official audits also cite the failures of local and state overseers who likewise, ahve failed in their duties to enforce the laws and program contracts that were designed to protect the poor and homeless from have their Food Benefits illegally taken away from them by such illegal charging of sales tax, card processing fees and practices that discriminate and harm the poor, disabled and homeless, such as when restaurants charge EBT Card Holders more for their food than they do customers using cash or credit cards. Another harmful and discriminatory practice that has happened at Subway Restaurants in San Franciso include things like a store on Polk Street that does not let EBT Card Holders use their cards after 6pm. These practices are illegal under federal and state law and violate the USDA's Food Stamp Program rules. So, who's responsible for the millions of dollars that have been essentially stolen from our nation's elderly, mentally ill, disabled, poor and homeless residents ? It's a 3 way split between the merchants, the contract processors and your state and local governments. SHAME ON THEM ALL !
Tags: California Benefit card processing fees class action client Compensation county determined ebt ebt cards eligible federal claims act fns food benefits food stamp program Food Stamps illegal charges J.P. Morgan EFS Kroger lack of training Law Suit Life MEAL neglect oversight participate program Restaurant Rip Off sales tax stamp STATE SALES TAX stores subway restaurants subway sandwiches USDA
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