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ESA SNAP Policy Manual 254 23.5 Collection of Recipient Claims Methods of recovery vary depending on whether the overpaid person is currently receiving benefits. The primary method of recovering overpayments from households that currently receive benefits is recoupment of a portion of the household’s ongoing monthly benefits to repay the amount owed. When the household charged with an overpayment no longer receives benefits in the program where the household had an overpayment, the Payment and Collections Division (PCD) in the DC Office of the Chief Financial Officer is responsible for negotiating repayment terms. Recovery methods for overpayments from persons who are no longer receiving benefits include the following:  Voluntary repayment  Civil recovery  Criminal restitution  Offset of an overpayment with an underpayment In addition to the recovery options above, ESA may be able to use the Treasury Offset Program to recover overpayments by former and current SNAP recipients. 23.5.1 Initiating Recovery ESA must establish the claim by sending the demand letter or written notification within the calendar quarter after the date ESA discovered the overpayment. Next steps in the SNAP claims process follow:  Begin recovery of the overpayment.  Begin recoupment from a recipient’s benefit.  Send a letter requesting repayment and attempt to arrange a repayment agreement from a former recipient. Failure to take any of the above actions within the timeframe does not affect the customer’s responsibility to repay or ESA’s responsibility to recover the overpayment. 23.5.2 SNAP Recoupment When a household that has been charged with an overpayment continues to receive assistance, ESA withholds a portion of the household’s monthly benefit to recoup the overpaid benefits unless the household makes other payment arrangements. ESA will not recoup more than the actual overpayment of assistance. Return