it is very easy and only takes a few minutes to check records these days. especially with computer databases. social security now days just needs your social security number to access your work history, your criminal background, your rental/home ownershuip history even medical/mental health history is now computerized.

example when I went on health leave at work I had no income. I went in to social security office with the application filled out, contact numbers for my medical doctor, therapist and psychiatrist, all of which consented to over the phone consult with social security.

I was in the waiting room about 45 minutes when a worker called my name, I was taken to another room, there we went page by page, question by question through the application, my medical history and my mental history. then the worker took my social security number and typed it in to her database...up popped my complete history for the last 10 years, including what schools I attended and graduated from, which homes I had bought, when I started seeing a therapist, where I had lived in the past 10 years.....

everything was done in a matter of minutes. I was handed a plastic card that held that months food stamps, cash and medical insurance. NY hasnt used paper food stamps, and paper medical insurance for about 20 years now and people on social security SSI/SSDI can choose whether they receive their checks in the mail or on the card that their foodstamps and medical are loaded on or deposited directly to their bank accounts. I had my check amount uploaded to the card that first day and future months checks deposited directly to my bank account during the time I had Social security disability.

mind you not all states have gone computerized with their social security/welfare/';unemployment offices but those that have you can now walk in the same day, be approved and walk out with a debit sized card that contains that months food stamps, cash and medical insurance all loaded. all it takes is the worker swiping this card through their computerized machine, punching in your case number and the card is active. and all it takes now days to get approved is their doing a search using your social security number on their computer that is hooked up to state and federal databases that show your background in a matter of seconds to minutes.

its not that hard..or complicated...its all downloaded onto this plastic debit card just like you would download music to your cell phone, Ipod or MP3 player. to give you an example of how fast and easy it is now for welfare and social security in some locations....go to any grocery store and buy a gift card, take it up to the cahsier and tell them how much money you want to load on that card.. the cashier types in the amount and swiped the card and you now have a gift card with that amount of money on it.

welfare and social security types in your information, the database tells how much you get monthly based on the information on your application form that the worker is typing in to the computer as they are going over it with you, the worker types in a code number, swipes the card and there you have that months SSDI (food stamps/cash and medical insurance) all in one little card to walk out the door with.

this is how we do things here in NY. Some states only have their medical on plastic debit cards, some states have only their cash on plastic debit cards, some places only have food stamps on the debit card and other locations are still using paper food stamps, paper checks and paper medical insurance cards.

NY we have all three on plastic now, so does california, oregon, florida, washingtn and many other USA states.

your area may not do things this fast but here where I am they do. we dont have paper food stamps, paper medical insurance and very few people elect to have their checks mailed to them as paper checks, not when they can walk out the door with a debit card that has been key coded with their monthly allotment on it.