Did you just find out there is such a thing as welfare and people can get cash from it?
Most people on GA (General Assitance) no longer receive a paper check. Instead, the funds are added to their EBT card and they can then withdraw cash using their card.
I have a friend that was a Mailman, now retired, and he said that the beginning of the month was when all the Welfare recipients would be out waiting by the mailbox to get their checks.
Maybe the Postal Workers Union complained about their carriers being harassed so they went to plastic instead of mailing out checks.