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Title 7: SNAP Page 30 Iowa Department of Health and Human Services Employees’ Manual Chapter A: Administration Electronic Benefit Transfer Revised June 20, 2025 Establishing Cardholders Emergency Authorized Representative When an emergency prevents all of the cardholders on an EBT account from shopping for the household, an emergency authorized representative may need to be established; see instructions in 14-J for adding a secondary cardholder. It is not necessary for the household to complete the process under Establishing a Secondary Cardholder or Authorized Representative in an emergency. The primary cardholder can name the emergency authorized representative in writing or verbally. If the emergency is such that the primary cardholder cannot designate an emergency authorized representative, someone else in the household may do so. If you designate an emergency FIP payee, also designate that person as the emergency authorized representative for SNAP. If the primary cardholder who is the only adult in the home dies, an emergency cardholder may use the benefits for the remaining household members. See 7-G, Treatment of Remaining Household Members When Acting on Prisoner or Death Matches for how to act on these cases. Establishing a Secondary Cardholder or Authorized Representative This policy does not apply to:  Emergency authorized representatives.  Households living in a facility. If a household asks on the SNAP application (or in some other way) for an authorized representative to buy food for the household, tell the person who is interviewed that:  The authorized cardholder will have complete access to all of the SNAP benefits in the household’s account.  The Department will not replace benefits used by the authorized cardholder.