Which method ensures the direct distribution of cash benefits to recipients?

The method that ensures direct distribution of cash benefits to recipients is direct deposit, check, or Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT). This approach is designed to provide recipients with immediate and secure access to their funds.

Direct deposit allows funds to be electronically transferred directly into a recipient's bank account, resulting in timely and reliable access without the need for physical checks. Checks can also be mailed directly to recipients, providing them with a tangible form of cash benefits that can be deposited or cashed. EBT systems provide an electronic way for recipients to access their benefits, particularly in federal assistance programs, allowing for easy use at designated retailers or ATMs.

All three methods focus on ensuring that recipients can receive and use their cash benefits conveniently and safely. In contrast, a wire transfer is often used for larger transactions and does not inherently guarantee that cash benefits are distributed directly to individual recipients in the same consistent manner as the other options. Cash payments upon request may not always be practical or timely, and credit card cash advances involve borrowing against credit, which does not represent a direct distribution of benefits but rather a loan.