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SNAP CERTIFICATION MANUAL – SECTION 15000 15800 Accepting Payment on an Overpayment 15630 Collection Action on Intentional Program Violation Cases

15800 Accepting Payment on an Overpayment

SNAP Manual 01/01/07 The DHS county office may accept cash, money orders or cashier’s checks as full or partial payment of an overpayment. Funds accepted in payment of an overpayment must be forwarded to the Overpayments Unit. All accepted payments must be documented on a Receipt for SNAP Benefits or Money (DCO-273). See the DHS Administrative Procedures Manual, chapter 201, for additional information. With a household’s written permission, benefits may be withdrawn by the Overpayments Unit from the household’s SNAP electronic benefit transfer (EBT) account as partial or full payment of an overpayment. The household must authorize withdrawals from an EBT account on a DCO- 273. For up to 12 months from the date of availability, the household may access their EBT benefits. After 12 months, the EBT benefits are expunged from the account and may no longer be restored to the household. However, expunged benefits may be applied to any overpayment. The county office worker must contact the Overpayment Unit if he or she becomes aware that SNAP benefits have been expunged from the EBT account of a household with a SNAP overpayment. There are no time limits on the use of expunged benefits to repay an overpayment. The Overpayment Unit, the Fraud Unit and/or the household may also initiate requests for expunged benefits to be applied to an overpayment.  NOTE: Prior to November 2003, EBT benefits were “aged” after three months. Households could not access their “aged” benefits unless they were restored to the EBT account by the DHS county office. The procedures used to apply expunged EBT benefits to overpayments may also be used if the household wishes to apply “aged” EBT benefits to an overpayment. The following procedure will be used to properly credit the expunged benefits to the household’s overpayment: Step 1: Either Overpayment Unit or the Fraud Unit may contact the EBT Unit to request verification of the existence of expunged benefits and the amount available. Step 2: If expunged benefits are available, a Receipt for SNAP Benefits or Money (DCO-273) must be completed and signed by the household and sent to the Overpayments Unit. A DHS county office worker, an Overpayment Unit Worker, or a Fraud Unit Worker may initiate the completion of a DCO-273. When expunged benefits are to