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MS 1025

(1) Volume 1 – General Administration MS 1025 – R. 8/1/26 – OMTL-703 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) Misuse

A. EBT misuse is defined as:

1. [Using SNAP benefits in any way other than to purchase food for eligible household members.

2. If the benefits were used incorrectly, but not in a way that meets the definition of trafficking in MS 1020, consider the violation to be misuse. The most common example of misuse is maintaining a credit account with a retailer for the purchase of eligible food but redeeming SNAP benefits on a date other than when the food was received to repay the credit account.

B. When an allegation that a recipient has misused SNAP benefits is received or misuse is detected during casework, the Regional Claims Worker (RCW) should not place a pending claim on the Integrated Eligibility and Enrollment System (IEES) Benefit Recovery module for investigation. Instead, the investigation should be annotated in case comments regarding the issue at hand and that field staff are not to discuss the investigation with the recipient. The RCW should follow all other trafficking procedures outlined in MS 1020 when investigating misuse.

C. A claim amount is not required to pursue EBT misuse.

D. Schedule an appointment and pursue an Intentional Program Violation (IPV) disqualification, unless it is determined during the investigation that misuse is no longer suspected.

E. If an Administrative Disqualification Hearing (ADH) is necessary, the hearing type will be ADH - Misuse.]

Example 1: The payment with an EBT card on a credit account in which only eligible food items were purchased is not considered trafficking but is against program rules. SNAP benefits must be debited at the time the food is received.

[Example 2: Allowing someone who is not authorized to use the EBT card and personal identification number (PIN) access to the EBT card and PIN to make purchases. Only members of the approved SNAP household or a designated Authorized Representative (AR) who has been appropriately added to the case may use the EBT card on behalf of the household.

Note: If the only adult household member becomes incarcerated or