1519 Adjustments for EBT Accounts

Due to the nature of electronic transaction, system generated errors may occur in which a purchase by a food assistance recipient is not debited from the recipient’s EBT account. These results in the merchant are not being paid for the food obtained by the food assistance recipient. When this happens, a merchant may request payment for the purchase resulting in an adjustment to the recipient’s food assistance EBT account. Recipients are sent a notice that these benefits are being removed from their EBT account, and that they have the right to request an administrative fair hearing. The recipient may request a fair hearing by contacting the food assistance office or the Food Assistance Partnership within 90 days from the date of the EBT Notice. Any hearing request received by the county food assistance office due to an adjustment notification should be immediately faxed to the Food Assistance Partnership. If the request is within 10 days of the date of the EBT Notice, the benefits on hold will be placed back into the household’s account. If the recipient loses the hearing or withdraws the request, the amount of the purchase will be taken from the recipient’s account and paid to the merchant. If the recipient fails to request a hearing within 10 days, the amount of the purchase will be paid to the merchant and will only be given to the recipient if the hearing decision is in the household’s favor. A system error is not an error such as the cashier entering an incorrect amount for the purchase that causes an erroneous amount of benefits to be debited from the recipient’s account. In order to meet all notification time frames, it is imperative that all client requests due to the EBT Adjustment Notice be communicated to the Food Assistance Partnership on the day received in the county office.