Yes, I was going to pull the same quote. It does look like the script is designed to avoid accidentally “coaching” anyone into receiving additional (or any…) benefits. Systems based on “a note from” or other subjective forms of evidence from a third party often fall back on this kind of money-savings-by-obscurity method. Of course, this is only true in a system whose purpose is to save money rather than help people.
You’re right that a government system comes with bureaucracy, and a private system would probably be much more efficient and effective…given the proper incentives (read: rich clients only). If a private system is forced by mandate to serve middle income/poor people, they will be just as draconian and slippery as a bureaucracy, with the added injury that someone is getting rich doing it. A bureaucracy on the other hand has no reason not to help people, unless it is under pressure by some cold-hearted political faction that thinks government ought to be “run like a business” and that proper social services shouldn’t be something that we’re not afraid to “lose” money on.
