Final Round Of Kemp Cash Payments Expected By October End

ATLANTA, GA — All physical cards for Gov. Brian Kemp's Cash Assistance Program should be mailed out by the end of October, said Kylie Winton, communications director for the Georgia Department of Human Services.

Gov. Brian Kemp first announced the program in late September.

One-time payments of up to $350 are available for people enrolled in Georgia's Medicaid, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance programs.

Medicaid recipients can be enrolled in PeachCare for Kids.

Eligible recipients had two options to receive their prepaid Mastercard funds, either through email or by mail.

Virtual or mail?

Winton told Patch the process has been completed for virtual cards, but physical cards are still being mailed out to recipients.

"Customers who opted to receive email only or email and U.S. mail communications should have received a virtual card by email," she said.

Physical cards can be used online or in any store that accepts Mastercard debit cards. They cannot be used to purchase money orders and cannot be converted to cash.

The cards cannot be used for gaming, gambling, lottery tickets, adult entertainment, alcohol, tobacco, vaping or firearm purchase, Winton said.

People have expressed concerns on social media with not receiving their virtual cards, having missing funds from their virtual cards or having their Georgia Gateway accounts containing their client IDs hacked.

"We’ve instituted controls in accordance with industry standard practices when phishing-related and similar fraudulent activities may occur. We continue to monitor all of our systems, including Georgia Gateway, for security and fraud attempts," Winton said.

"DHS will never call, text or email customers to ask for personal or financial information related to the Cash Assistance Program unprompted. Any customer who has lost money or believes they have been a victim of identity theft should file a police report, then call the card-specific customer service line at 1 (833) 907-0683."

Winton recommended for anyone who has not received their emails to check junk folders and deleted emails. People can also call the card-specific customer service line.

Millions Spent

Since the program began on Sept. 20, Winton said $997,620,000 has been sent to 2,850,353 residents with $565,691,600 claimed and $454,829,795 spent.

She noted the majority of the funds have been spent on utilities, groceries, gas and other essentials.

"The Cash Assistance Program is providing immediate relief to some of Georgia’s most vulnerable families as they battle 40-year-high inflation," Winton said.

Candice Broce, Human Services commissioner, said the program has been positive for several Georgia residents during a critical time. She said families needed instant relief.

"Thus far, the program has provided nearly a billion dollars to eligible recipients – with the vast majority of transactions occurring without incident," Broce said. "We are working hard to continue to deliver these funds safely and securely to Georgians in need.”