section-15 CERTIFICATION PERIODS/ISSUING BENEFITS

1. Certification Periods 1. Definite Certification Period Households eligible for receipt of SNAP benefits receive those benefits for a specific period of time coinciding with the periods of eligibility determinations and redeterminations. NOTE: When the certification period ends, SNAP entitlement expires and benefits cannot continue without the submission of a recertification application and a redetermination of eligibility. Certification periods will conform to calendar months and begin with the month of application. Certification periods are not to exceed twenty-four months, except for households that participate in the NYS Combined Application Project (NYSCAP) or Elderly Simplificed Application Project (ESAP). EXAMPLE: Mrs. Greene submits an application on January 20th. She is screened for expedited benefits and found ineligible for expedited processing. An eligibility determination for on-going benefits is made on February 10th. Her household’s six month certification period would be January 20th through June 30th and the household would be issued retroactive benefits from January 20th. 2. Temporary Assistance Households Certification periods for SNAP cases in receipt of TA, shall not be made less frequently than those required in Department Regulation 18NYCRR 350.2 for TA cases. TA/SNAP cases may be certified to expire the month following the household's TA redetermination date, providing the SNAP certification period does not exceed one year. a. TA/SNAP Certification Periods LESS THAN 12 Months - If all household members receive TA, the SNAP certification period may be the TA certification period, plus one month beyond. b. TA/SNAP Certification Periods OF 12 Months - If the TA certification period is for twelve months, the SNAP certification period is also for twelve months. c. TA/SNAP Simplified Reporting Cases - TA/SNAP cases subject to simplified reporting should have concurrent certification periods. d. TA/SNAP Recertification - SNAP recertification will take place at the same time TA eligibility is reviewed. The beginning of the subsequent certification period for TA and SNAP shall coincide. 3. Non-Temporary Assistance (NTA) Households a. Normal Certification Periods - NTA households will receive the longest certification period possible based on the stability of the household circumstances. b. Other Certification Periods - Other households will be certified for at least four months except: (1) Households which at time of initial certification had their certification process completed after the 15th day of the month of application and also had circumstances which warranted it shall have their eligibility/certification period increased by one month; (2) When the household cannot reasonably predict what its circumstances will be in the near future, or when there is a substantial likelihood of frequent and significant changes in income or household status the eligibility/certification period shall not be more than two months; NOTE: This is most likely to occur for day laborers and migrant workers during the season when income fluctuates because of weather. (3) Households which have little likelihood of changes in income and household status, the eligibility certification period shall be up to 12 months; (4) Up to 24 months for households where all adults are elderly/disabled persons and have no earned income. Districts must have contact with these households at the twelve-month point. (5) Districts may lengthen a household's current certification period once it is established, as long as the total months of the certification period do not exceed 24 months for households in which all adult members are elderly or disabled, or 12 months for other households (with the exception of NYSCAP and ESAP). If the agency extends a household's certification period, it must advise the household of the new certification ending date with a notice containing the same information as the notice of eligibility. (6) Up to 12 months for households whose primary source of income is from self- employment (including self-employed farmers) or from regular farm employment, including farm workers whose annual salaries are paid on a scheduled and unchanging monthly basis, provided income can be readily predicted and household circumstances are not likely to change. (7) Households subject to Simplified Reporting shall be certified every 6 months unless the SSD has requested and received a waiver from OTDA for a longer certification period. (8) Households which are granted separate household status because the household consists of an individual and that individual's minor child(ren) living with the individual's parent or sibling and purchasing and preparing meals separate from the parent/sibling, the eligibility/certification period will not exceed six months. 4. Certification Periods for Expedited Services Cases Households which qualify for expedited service, and are determined eligible for SNAP benefits, shall be assigned certification periods in accordance with this Section. Whenever practical, even when verification is postponed, districts should assign normal certification periods of at least four months as there are significant advantages gained in subsequent notice requirements. No adverse notice, and no recertification call-in, are required if such a household is certified for at least four months and subsequently fails to submit the pended verification. Regardless of the length of the certification period assigned, issuance of SNAP benefits is limited to the initial expedited payment period of the month of application, or the month of application and the subsequent month if the household applies after the 15th of the month. If verification is postponed, the district may: • Assign a normal certification period of four months or longer to those households whose circumstances (as specified in this Section of the SNAP Sourcebook) would otherwise warrant a longer certification period, or • Assign a three month certification period, or • Certify these households for one or two months - the month of application (the month of application and the subsequent month for those households applying after the 15th of the month). a. Four Months Or Longer - The district shall notify the household in writing as defined in SNAP SB Section 8, that no further benefits will be issued until the postponed verification is completed. No Adverse Action Notice is required if the household does not complete the verification, or completes it and it results in a lower benefit. The household must have received written notice that the receipt of benefits beyond the month of application (or the month of application and the subsequent month if applying after the 15th of the month) is contingent on its providing the verification which was initially postponed and that the verified information will be acted on without further notice. b. Three Months - The SSD shall notify the household in writing as defined in SNAP SB Section 8, that no further benefits will be issued until the postponed verification is completed. When certified for three months, the household must be sent a recertification notice in the second month of the certification period. The household must recertify and complete the verification requirements which were postponed. The household must have received written notice that the receipt of benefits beyond the month of application (or the month of application and the subsequent month if applying after the 15th of the month) is contingent on its providing the verification which was initially postponed and that the verified information will be acted on without further notice. c. One Or Two Months - The District shall notify the household in writing as defined in SNAP SB Section 8, that no further benefits will be issued until the postponed verification is completed. When certified for one or two months, the household must be issued a recertification notice at certification with the Action Taken Notice. The household must recertify and complete the verification requirements which were postponed. The household must have received written notice that the receipt of benefits beyond the month of application (or the month of application and the subsequent month if applying after the 15th of the month) is contingent on its providing the verification which was initially postponed and that the verified information will be acted on without further notice. For households that are certified for one month or longer and verification is postponed as described in a., b., and c. above, State prescribed language in Client Notice System (CNS) and on the LDSS-3152 & LDSS-4013B meets this requirement. d. Timeframe For Submission Of Postponed Verification - In order to receive continued ongoing benefits without interruption, the household must submit the postponed verification by the end of the month following the last month of the expedited period. Example: Household applies on May 16th, eligible for expedited processing, and found eligible for ongoing SNAP benefits. Initial expedited payment would be authorized for the period May 16th through June 30th. If the postponed verification is submitted by July 31st, and the household is still eligible, the July benefit would be issued retroactively to July 1st and the ongoing issued as determined by BICS. e. There is no limit to the number of times a household can receive expedited processing of their SNAP applications, as long as prior to each expedited certification the household either • completes verification that was postponed at the previous expedited certification, or • was certified under normal processing (no pended verification) since the last expedited certification, or • submits all verification relevant to the current application so that no verification needs to be pended. References: 387.14 Determination of Food Stamp Eligibility 387.17 Recertification/Authorization 01 ADM-8 Changes in Food Stamp Application and Recertification Procedures 03 INF-10 Food Stamp Program Questions and Answers: Application Processing, Six-Month Reporting, Transitional Benefits and Standard Utility Allowances 11 INF-07 District Policy Options 15 INF-05 Revised LDSS-3938 and LDSS-3938 NYC: "Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Application Expedited Processing Summary Sheet" 2. Issuing Benefits 1. Normal Time Standard Opportunity To Participate - "Opportunity to participate" means that the household has a CBIC and a PIN, and SNAP benefits have been entered on the system which enables the household to redeem the benefits at USDA authorized SNAP retailers. All eligible TA/SNAP and NTA/SNAP households which complete the initial application process as described in SNAP SB Section 4 must have an opportunity to participate in the SNAP Program. The SSD must provide the opportunity to participate as soon as possible after the application is filed, but not later than 30 calendar days after the application was filed. NOTE: If the 30th day falls on a non-work day, the SSD must provide the household with the "opportunity to participate" no later than the first work day prior to the 30th day. (§ 273.2 Office operations and application processing: (g) Normal processing standard —(1) Thirty- day processing. The State agency shall provide eligible households that complete the initial application process an opportunity to participate (as defined in §274.2(b)) as soon as possible, but no later than 30 calendar days following the date the application was filed. An application is filed the day the appropriate SNAP office receives an application containing the applicant's name, address (if they have one), and signed by either a responsible adult member of the household or the household's authorized representative.) 2. Expedited Time Standard For households qualified for expedited service, as defined in SNAP SB Section 5, an eligibility interview must be conducted. If found eligible for benefits, benefits must be issued according to the following time standards: a. SNAP benefits must be made available to eligible households no later than seven calendar days following the day the application was filed. b. Households qualified for expedited service may include, but are not limited to, residents of shelters for victims of domestic violence, households entitled to a waiver of the office interview, residents of drug addiction or alcoholic treatment and rehabilitation centers, residents of group living facilities, homeless individuals and residents of facilities for the homeless. c. Whenever the application would result in the passage of more than seven calendar days before SNAP benefits could be made available to eligible households, the SNAP benefits must be made available no later than the seventh calendar day following the day the application was filed. d. For households who receive a waiver to the office interview but are interviewed at home as specified in SNAPSB Section 4, the SSD shall conduct the interview and process the application within the expedited service standards detailed in this section. e. For joint processing cases, all SSI households shall be certified in accordance with the expedited processing standards specified in this section. The SSA will inform households which appear eligible for expedited services that benefits may be received a few days sooner if they choose to apply directly at the district SNAP office. For "pure" SSI households who choose to file an application at their Social Security Administration office, the expedited processing time standards shall begin the date the correct SNAP district office receives the SNAP application. SNAP applications sent to an incorrect district shall be forwarded to the correct office on the same day they are received. f. When prescreening fails to identify a household as being entitled to expedited service and the district subsequently discovers that the household is entitled to expedited service, the district shall provide expedited service to the household within the processing standards set forth in this Section, except that the processing standard must be calculated from the date the district discovers the household is entitled to expedited service. g. Households applying and have been determined eligible for expedited benefits but have not provided verification, the district must have the prorated benefits for the month of application issued to the household within the expedited service standards detailed within this section. Upon receipt and acceptance of all necessary verification and the is household is determined to be eligible for ongoing benefits, the district shall issue the first full month’s benefits no later than the fifth working day from the date the verification was provided or the first day working day of the following month, whichever is later. h. Migrant households applying after the 15th of a month and assigned certification periods of longer than one month shall provide postponed verification from sources within the state before a second month's benefits are issued. They shall provide all verification from out-of-state sources before being issued benefits for the third month. i. Issuance of Benefits (1) Regular recurring benefits will be issued on a staggered basis depending on the terminal digit of the client's case number. (2) Upon receipt and acceptance of all necessary verification, the district shall issue the first full month's benefits no later than the fifth working day from the date the verification was provided or the first working day of the following month, whichever is later. (3) Migrant households applying after the 15th of a month and assigned certification periods of longer than one month, shall provide postponed verification from sources within the state before a second month's benefits are issued. They shall provide all verification from out-of-state sources before being issued benefits for the third month. The actual first working day of the calendar month issuance provision in paragraph (2) above also shall apply to issuance in the second and third months for those migrant households providing postponed verification. (4) Households which applied for benefits after the 15th of the month who have not postponed verification shall be assured of receiving at least one full month's benefits before being placed in a staggered issuance cycle. All households eligible for expedited service, who apply after the 15th of the month, shall be issued their first month's prorated benefits and the next full month SNAP benefit within the expedited service time frames. 3. Households That Apply After The 15th Of The Month For eligible TA/SNAP and NTA/SNAP households which apply after the 15th of the month and have completed all application and verification requirements, Districts must issue to the household its prorated initial month's allotment and its next (full) month's allotment at the same time. This requirement also applies to households certified under expedited procedures even if verification requirements have not been completed. 4. Delays in Issuance a. Caused By Household (1) If, by the 30th day, the district cannot take any further action on the application due to the fault of the household, the household shall lose its entitlement to benefits for the month of application. b. Verification and Issuing Benefits (1) Benefits shall NOT be delayed beyond the expedited time standard solely because the household has failed to verify eligibility factors which are not mandated in the expedited verification process as specified in SNAP SB Section 5. (2) Benefits for the month following the month of application shall not be issued until all necessary verification not already provided has been provided to the district unless the household applied after the 15th of the month as explained above. (3) If the initial delay was the household’s fault, and the case is subsequently determined eligible, the household shall receive benefits from the first (1st) day of the month in which verification is provided. EXAMPLE: If the household was interviewed and then was at fault for the delay in the first 30-day period, but is found to be eligible during the second 30-day period, the district must provide prorated benefits from the first (1st) day of the month in which the district received necessary verification. c. Caused By District (1) Whenever a delay in the initial 30-day period is the fault of the district, as specified in SNAP SB Section 4, immediate corrective action must be taken. The local district shall not deny the application if the district caused the delay in processing but shall instead notify the household by the 30th day after the application filing date, that the household’s application is still pending. (CNS Z94). If the household is found to be eligible during the second 30-day period, the household is entitled to benefits retroactive to the date of application. (2) When the district is at fault for not completing the application process by the end of the second 30-day period, and the case file is otherwise complete, the district must continue to process the original application until an eligibility determination is reached. If the household is determined eligible and the district was at fault for the delay in the initial 30 days, the household must receive benefits retroactive to the day of application (387.14). 7 CFR 273.2(h)(3) 5. No Benefit Increase When Non-compliant with Other Means-tested TA Programs a. This provision prohibits an increase in SNAP benefits when a household's income has been reduced because of a penalty imposed by another Federal, State or local means-tested TA program. This means that when a household's income is reduced due to non-compliance with a program such as FA or SNA (or other means-tested programs), that household's SNAP benefits will not increase solely because of the reductions in income due to the penalty in the other program. SSI is not considered a means-tested TA program. b. This provision only applies when the reason for the adverse action taken in the other means-tested program does not also result in an adverse action in the SNAP. If a SNAP adverse action is taken at the same time as the adverse action in the other means-tested program, no additional action is needed. c. This policy applies in situations in which a household's income is reduced due to an adverse action in a TA program but no adverse action is taken in the SNAP. This includes situations in which the recipient fails to: sign a lien, pursue an SSN, meet certain employment requirements, participate in rehabilitation to restore employability, meet IV-D, FEDS or EVR requirements, or pursue other benefits such as UIB or SSI. d. In these situations, the district must budget the calculation of SNAP benefits in a manner that continues to count as SNAP income, the portion of the TA grant lost due to the sanction. This is done with the aid of the Upstate and NYC Automated Budgeting and Eligibility Logic (ABEL). Depending on the type of TA sanction and the Upstate or NYC budgeting system, it is accomplished in different ways: (1) Upstate ABEL for Incremental TA sanctions where the individual is actually removed from the budgeting, the worker has to determine the amount of the TA reduction in grant due to the sanction and add it back into the SNAP budget using an unearned income code. For IV-D and Prorata TA sanctions, the worker only has to enter a code indicating how many people are being sanctioned for the IV-D non-compliance, or whether or not the Prorata sanction also applies to the SNAP- ABEL then automatically adjusts the SNAP budgeting. (See 01 INF-12 and ABEL Manual Section C) (2) NYC ABEL - The worker uses certain income source codes on the individual budget screen to indicate the type of TA sanction and the system automatically adjusts the SNAP budgeting. (See 01 INF-12 and ABEL Manual Section C) e. It is important for SSDs to develop procedures to insure that, in situations in which the TA case is being closed (e.g., a one person SNA case), the SNAP case be assigned to the proper unit (usually the NTA SNAP unit) with sufficient information so that the SNAP case can be budgeted correctly. 6. WMS Instructions - SNAP Payment Line Processing Any newly authorized payment for SNAP Payment Type "91-Expedited SNAP" that has a Payment Effective From Day equal to the 16th or greater must extend to the end of the following month. Edits are in place to ensure the inclusion of the next full month's benefit on this line, and applies to Payment Types "93-Single Issuance" and "94-SNAP Retroactive Benefit". References: 387.1 Definitions 387.8 Application Process 387.14 Determination of Food Stamp Eligibility 97 ADM-4 Clarifications of Various Food Stamp Welfare Reform Provisions 01 INF-12 Temporary Assistance Sanctions: Budgeting for TA andFS, Treatment of Income for FS When the TA Case Closes, and Medicaid Implications 96 LCM-83 Food Stamp Impact of New Federal Welfare Law Automated Budgeting and Eligibility Logic (ABEL) Manual 3. Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) EBT is mandated by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to deliver SNAP benefits electronically through the commercial financial infrastructure. In New York State, EBT also delivers cash benefits. EBT is interoperable with other states' EBT programs across the country, except SNAP benefits cannot be accessed in Puerto Rico. Generally, there is little program impact as the result of EBT implementation. 1. SNAP Implications a. A SNAP debit account is established that enables recipients to purchase eligible food items at USDA FNS authorized retailers that accept EBT and/or display the QUEST logo. b. SNAP recipients have the option of debiting part of the SNAP benefit as needed, and leaving any unused portion of the benefit for additional purchases or to carry over from month to month. c. Cash back cannot be issued from the SNAP account. d. All SNAP transactions are free of any sales taxes, fees and/or surcharges. e. SNAP transaction limits - no minimum dollar purchase amount per transaction or maximum limit on the number of transactions is permitted. f. SNAP Manual Vouchers. Retailers may use SNAP manual vouchers in the event of an EBT system failure or disruption. SNAP merchants who choose to process manual vouchers are required to call the EBT Merchant Helpline for authorization prior to permitting EBT card holders to purchase SNAP goods. The recipient will sign the voucher, and a hold will be placed on the recipient's SNAP account for the amount of the purchase until the retailer clears the manual voucher through the EBT Contractor. Retailers have 30 days from the date the manual voucher was authorized to clear the voucher. When the retailer clears the manual voucher, the recipient's SNAP EBT account will be debited by the EBT Contractor. If the retailer fails to clear the voucher within 30 days, the SNAP funds on hold are released back to the recipient’s SNAP EBT account. The retailer is not allowed to represent an expired voucher. Manual vouchers processed by authorized FNS retailers are used solely for SNAP benefit purchases and SNAP returns/credits and cannot be used for cash transactions. g. A SNAP electronic Point of Sale (POS) or manual voucher credit/return transaction is limited to a maximum amount of $75.00. If the credit or return is greater than $75.00 it must be completed in separate credit/return transactions. For example, if processing a return of $100.00 it must be completed in 2 transactions, such as one at $75.00 and one at $25.00. h. The 2014 Farm Bill requires the EBT contractor to deploy EBT-Only equipment to all certified exempt SNAP retailers. The equipment is provided to these retailers at no cost. This includes such authorized retailers as eligible farmer’s market’s, food banks, Enriched Housing Programs, congregate meals for the elderly sites, Residential Treatment Centers (RTCs) and group homes, with more than three, but fewer than sixteen, residents. i. A Point of Sale (POS) device enables the retailer to process SNAP benefit debit transactions electronically with the swipe of a Common Benefit Identification Card (CBIC). In situations where the POS equipment is unable to read the card number (magnetic stripe on card back), the number may be “keyed in” (manually entered) by the retailer, however, the cardholder, and card, must be present and the cardholder must enter the PIN themselves. It is always recommended, that for security purposes, for clients with unreadable card numbers (magnetic stripe), to request a replacement CBIC. j. If a SNAP EBT account is not accessed (no financial transaction debit occurring) for a period of 274 consecutive days, any unused SNAP benefit or remaining balance of a SNAP benefit that is 274 days old or older, will be expunged (removed) from the EBT account without further notice to the recipient. Recipients are informed of benefit expungement timeframes in the EBT training materials (for example form LDSS-5004) they receive at application. k. Expunged SNAP benefits that are more than 274 days old or older, cannot be replaced. l. Expunged SNAP benefits will be applied automatically to any outstanding SNAP overpayment, thus reducing the overpayment balance. 2. Common Benefit Identification Card (CBIC) Implications (1) EBT uses the CBIC and PIN to initiate all SNAP POS transactions, all cash POS or ATM withdrawals, all cash purchase transactions, and SNAP manual vouchers (PIN not required). Medicaid (MA) benefits are accessed using the same permanent recipient card, but a PIN is not necessary to access MA benefits. (2) Permanent plastic CBICs with and without photos, Authorized Representative cards, Temporary Vault CBICs, and cardboard MA cards which only are used for MA when a temporary vault card is issued, are presently used for the three programs utilizing the CBIC (SNAP, Cash, Medicaid). (3) A Vault Card is a temporary card that is issued when an applicant or recipient who is waiting for the mailing of a permanent CBIC, needs to access their SNAP and/or Cash expedited or existing benefits immediately. A vault card will also be used to access disaster SNAP benefits issued under federally declared disaster (See NYS Disaster Assistance Plan). Each local district is required to issue Vault Cards to their applicants or recipients as needed. Some of the elements necessary to support Vault Cards include: (a) Special plastic card stock inventory – cards. (b) Secured storage for plastic card stock inventory in the district (c) Assignment of staff to Vault Card issuance and assistance with PINing (d) Terminal security arrangements for issuance and activation of cards (e) Cardholder access to PIN selection device(s) located in the district office(s) (4) Once a vault card or new replacement permanent card is issued to the recipient, the cardholder may continue to use the existing PIN of the previous card to access benefits with this new card unless they choose to change the PIN. (5) Any change to the recipient's name, sex or date of birth will system-generate a new permanent card. As a result of this new system generated card issuance, the existing permanent card currently being used by the cardholder is assigned a 90-day void date and can be continued to be used until it’s void date or until the new permanent card sent is used for any transaction (for example - PIN selection, balance inquiry, ATM/POS transactions both approved and denied, etc.). Any new permanent card request/issuance that is worker generated utilizing CBIC screen 27, or a card issued at a NYC Over the Counter Card Site, however will immediately status (void) the previous/existing permanent card. (6) All CBICs contain the QUEST Mark. The Quest Mark is an identifier that assists cardholders in determining where their card can be used. he mark will appear on the back of all cards issued in programs following the QUEST Rules, as well as at ATM and POS terminals that are operated in compliance with the Rules. (a) Because it is a national identifier, cardholders can compare the mark on their card to the mark on terminals and determine whether their card can be used at any terminal across the country, keeping in mind that SNAP benefits cannot be accessed in Puerto Rico. (b) Because issuers must agree to comply with the QUEST Operating Rules before they can affix the mark to a card, a merchant accepts the card knowing that once the transaction is authorized, payment is guaranteed under the Rules. All merchant and financial participants know the responsibilities, liabilities and guarantees that apply to them under the Rules. (c) Not all retailers who accept EBT display the QUEST mark. Recipients should be instructed that if they do not see the QUEST mark displayed by the retailer, their card still may be accepted by this retailer. The recipient should check with the retailer before shopping at or attempting to use their CBIC at that retailer. (7) If during a transaction a PIN number is incorrectly entered four consecutive times, the EBT account will be automatically locked and SNAP and Cash benefits will not be able to be accessed with the card until the next day. Selection of a new PIN by the recipient will not unlock the account. The account will be automatically unlocked shortly after midnight. 3. Authorized Representatives and EBT a. Recipients who are homebound, incapacitated or those with limited access to their benefits, may designate an Authorized Representative to access their SNAP or Cash benefits on their behalf. For more information on Authorized Representatives, see SNAP SB Section 4. 1) An Authorized Representative must be designated for residents of a Residential Treatment Center (RTC) and are often designated for residents of an approved group home, in order to facilitate the process of accessing SNAP benefits for resident recipients. 2) Participants who choose to have Authorized Representatives will receive two CBICs – a regular Recipient CBIC and an Authorized Representative card. The recipient card can be used to access their Cash, SNAP and MA benefits. 3) The Authorized Representative card is used to access Cash and SNAP benefits only. MA benefits cannot be accessed with the Authorized Representative card. 4) The Authorized Representative card contains both the participant’s name and their Authorized Representative's name. 5) The recipient and the Authorized Representative each choose a different PIN for their respective cards in order to access the recipient's benefits. b. Certain SNAP Households are permitted to have two EBT cards with access to their SNAP benefits. For a SNAP household to be eligible for a second EBT card, the SNAP household must include two parent(s)/guardian(s) who: • Are both on the SNAP case, • Live in the household full-time, and • are over the age of 18 or, regardless of age, are a parent/guardian of a minor child. Households that meet the above criteria may request an additional EBT card by completing and submitting the LDSS-4217. The second card does not entitle a SNAP household to any additional SNAP benefits. Both EBT cards are associated with the household’s SNAP case and transactions made using either card will draw down from the same SNAP account. SNAP households are only permitted a maximum of two active EBT cards. If a two parent(s)/guardian(s) household already has an authorized representative card issued, they cannot request an additional card for the second parent/guardian. Similarly, if the two parent(s)/guardian(s) household receives a second EBT card for the parent/guardian, they will be unable to request an additional card for an authorized representative. 4. Customer Service a. Customer Service Support - To assist districts in maintaining their primary responsibility in meeting recipient's needs, the EBT Contractor supports a Customer Service Helpline 24/7 through an Automated Response Unit (ARU). The ARU is an automated system that provides a service to callers regarding account transactions, account balances and to assist callers with PIN selection. Assistance with WMS case updates or changes and benefit issuance information are directed to the districts for follow up by Customer Service Representatives. Changes to name and/or address information are also directed to the districts. EBT Contractor Customer Service is responsible for the following: 1) Providing recipients with the available balance information associated to their SNAP benefit and/or Cash benefit account(s). 2) Accepting and processing an adjustment claim submission from recipients for reported transaction discrepancies or errors in their Cash and/or SNAP benefit account(s). 3) Authorizing PIN changes and providing further instructions. 4) Deactivating lost, stolen or damaged CBICs and requesting a replacement permanent card. 5) Providing a written statement of at least the past two month's debit transactions. 6) Providing a listing of at least the last 10 SNAP and/or Cash account transactions. 7) Providing dates of the next issued benefit availability date if posted. b. PIN Selection – In order to access SNAP or Cash Benefits using a CBIC, a PIN must be linked/associated to the CBIC. 1. Replacement Cards – as a rule PINs are transferred from the previous card to any new card issued, including to temporary vault cards. The new replacement or vault card is active when issued, is ready to be used and does not need a new PIN selected, unless the client prefers to change the PIN or cannot remember the PIN of the previous card. 2. New applicants and recipients not known to WMS, or who have never had a CBIC, and have a SSN on record in WMS, must select a PIN for their newly issued permanent CBIC, as PIN mailers are not automatically sent to these new cardholders. If the new applicant or recipient does not have a SSN on record in WMS, they will be sent a system generated PIN via a PIN mailer. If the applicant or recipient is issued a vault card, the PIN selected for that vault card is automatically transferred to the new permanent card and a new PIN does not need to be selected for the new permanent card unless the cardholder prefers to assign a new PIN to their card. A card may be pinned by using the PIN selection device located at the SSD office or by calling the EBT helpline at 1-888-328- 6399. 3. Card issued for Medicaid/Health Exchange reasons only with no SNAP and/or Cash case/benefits. A CBIC issued/used for Medicaid or Health Exchange reasons only does not require a PIN. If at a later date the recipient (with same CIN) becomes eligible to receive SNAP and/or Cash Benefits that card will be the card used to access the SNAP and Cash benefits, however, a PIN must be selected in order to access the benefits. 4. Changing/selecting a PIN - PINs can be changed/obtained in one of the following ways: i. PIN Mailer - New recipients without a Social Security Number(SSN) in WMS will automatically be mailed a PIN after case opening and once a mailed CBIC is requested. The CBIC system will only request a PIN mailer when it recognizes the SSN is NOT present for the recipient. Applicants with SSN’s should be directed to call the EBT Help Line for PIN selection. The last four digits of the SSN and mailing address Zip Code will be required for these calls in order to establish a PIN. A PIN mailer will contain a new system generated PIN. An established PIN will be carried forward to any subsequently issued card to the client. ii. PIN Selection Device - PIN selection devices are installed at each district office. With the assistance from a district worker, a PIN is selected by the recipient using the PIN selection device. The recipient swipes the CBIC and enters a new PIN on the PIN selection device keypad twice to confirm the PIN selection. A phone line connects the PIN device to transmit the PIN to the contractor's EBT system. The PIN is encrypted and linked to the CBIC immediately. iii. Customer Service EBT Helpline – 1 (888) 328-6399. The recipient can call this number to establish or select a new PIN. The process is designed in an automated fashion and requires the caller to enter their card number, enter/verify the last four digits of their SSN and enter/verify their mailing address Zip Code. Failure to enter this information correctly will deny access to establish or change a PIN. If the caller fails to enter this information correctly, they will be not be transferred to a Customer Service representative and the call will end. EBT customer service representatives are not permitted to enter and/or select PINs for card holders. iv. Client On-line Account Website – www.ebtedge.com. Clients with an existing PIN and who have set up an on-line EBT account and do not have a PIN restriction in place, can change the PIN for their card online or via the app, available in the Google or Apple App store. New clients that have never established a PIN cannot set their initial PIN via the website, it must be established either by using the PIN selection device in the district or by calling the EBT Helpline. c. Lost, stolen or damaged CBICs - Recipients must report any lost, stolen or damaged CBICs to EBT Customer Service Helpline immediately. The EBT system will disable the card and permit the caller to request a new mailed replacement permanent or authorized representative card if that is the card that was being reported as lost, stolen or damaged. The new permanent or authorized representative replacement card request will produce a message to the CBIC system and a replacement permanent or authorized representative card will be mailed to the recipient to the address on record. Once a card is disabled on EBT it will prevent the use of the card across all programs, (SNAP, Cash and Medicaid) and prevent the loss of benefits using that card going forward. A card can be reported lost, stolen or damaged 24 hours a day/7 days a week. Any SNAP or Cash benefits redeemed prior to the card being reported as lost, stolen or damaged are not replaceable under USDA FNS and OTDA Regulations, Rules and Policies. It is the responsibility of the cardholder to keep their card/card number safe and their PIN secret. d. If the card reported lost, stolen or damaged to the EBT Customer Service Helpline is a temporary vault card, a replacement request cannot be generated by the EBT Vendor. The recipient must contact/go to the district to get a replacement temporary vault card. e. Unauthorized use of CBICs – Recipients must contact EBT Customer Service Helpline immediately to report their card as lost or stolen when they discover the unauthorized use/compromise of their card/card number and PIN and/or when they discover SNAP or cash benefits have been stolen from their EBT account. Only by first contacting the EBT Customer Service Helpline to deactivate their card can the cardholder be protected from further potential benefit theft/loss. State/Federal Regulations, Procedures and Policy do not provide any authorization to replace SNAP or cash benefits that were stolen after receipt and before the card is reported lost or stolen by the cardholder. According to Federal Regulations, “the State agency shall assume liability for benefits subsequently drawn (emphasis added) from the account and replace any lost or stolen benefits to the household only once the household reports that their EBT card has been lost or stolen”. It is the local districts responsibility to investigate claims of benefit theft and/or unauthorized use of CBICs. Recipients should be advised to file police reports concerning the stolen benefits and be referred to the local district’s fraud staff to have their claim benefits were stolen to be investigated. f. Replacement of Electronically Stolen Benefits Federal law does not allow the replacement of electronically stolen SNAP benefits, through such means as skimming, cloning or phising, as of December 21, 2024. g. Troubleshooting - Districts continue to be responsible for assisting recipients in identifying solutions to problems that can result in recipients being unable to access their SNAP benefits. 1) In order for recipients to successfully access their SNAP accounts utilizing the EBT benefit delivery method, all of the following must be present: i. A CBIC that is active in the EBT Contractor’s System, ii. A valid PIN is associated with the card and used correctly, iii. A SNAP account that is active on the EBT Contractor’s system, iv. A correctly authorized benefit in WMS system or BICS via the BICS pre- reg process, v. Recipient listed in WMS as the current active payee for the case (screen 5 – “X” entered in EBCD column), vi. A benefit that has reached its availability date in the SNAP account. If any of the above elements are missing, the recipient will be unable to access his/her benefits from their SNAP account. 5. Erroneous Posting of SNAP Benefits 1. When a system error results in the posting of an incorrect benefit amount in an EBT SNAP account, the benefit may be recovered without notice to the recipient. When the incorrect benefit is authorized and posted to the recipient’s SNAP account, but has not yet reached its availability date, it may be voided from the EBT system. This is known as a “pending void”. 2. No client notice of the recovery is required because the recipient was already notified of the correct benefit amount. District staff must answer recipient questions regarding recovery of erroneous postings, to the extent possible, using information obtained through WMS/BICS and the EBT administrative terminal. 3. If an attempt is made to void and recover the erroneous posting after the benefit availability date has been reached, the void attempt will fail. Once a benefit reaches it’sits availability date, the erroneous/incorrect benefit should be recoverd through recoupment or repayment process. 6. Retailer Initiated Adjustments a. If a system error occurs that results in a retailer not receiving the correct payment amount, the retailer has ten business days (15 calendar days) from the date the error occurred, to register a claim with the EBT contractor to have the amount of the shortage debited from the SNAP recipient's account. b. When a retailer's claim results in a debit adjustment against a cardholder, a retailer initiated notice is sent by the EBT Contractor to the cardholder notifying them that the amount being claimed will be debited from their SNAP account. c. If current SNAP funds are insufficient the adjustment will be recovered from the next month's benefits when the availability date for that benefit has been reached. d. Households may appeal retailer initiated actions by requesting a Fair Hearing within 90 days of the adjustment notice date. 1. A household that requests a Fair Hearing within ten days from the date of the retailer initiated adjustment notice, will not have their SNAP account debited until a decision is issued from a Fair Hearing. 2. If the household does not request a fair hearing within ten days of the date of the notice, the recipient's account is debited and the adjustment is made into the retailer's account. 3. A household that loses their Fair Hearing will have the amount debited from their current or next month's benefits, with no additional notice. For Fair Hearing Information, see Section 9 of this Source Book 7. Client Initiated Adjustments 1. A recipient who reports that an EBT system error resulted in an incorrect amount being debited from a SNAP account must be advised to register a claim by calling the EBT Customer Service Helpline at 1-(888) 328-6399. A system error is an auditable processing failure at any point in the redemption process that results in the improper crediting or debiting of an account or in the failure to credit or debit of account. An example of a system error includes if when making a single SNAP purchase the SNAP account is incorrectly charged twice for the same purchase. Human error in transaction data entry at the POS does not constitute a system error. If recipient was “overcharged” due to human error, for example charged $60.00 instead of $6.00, the recipient should be advised to return to the retailer and request a credit/SNAP return to be processed by the retailer (credit back to the SNAP account). In order to process a SNAP return at a POS terminal the card must be present and PIN entered by the cardholder. 2. Recipients may register SNAP claims up to 90 days after the disputed transaction. SNAP adjustment claims are usually resolved within 15 calendar days of the opening of the adjustment claim. 3. If the EBT contractor has not completed a claim adjustment investigation within ten business days (15 calendar days) of its receipt of the claim from the recipient because the retailer has failed to respond to the EBT contractor, and the EBT contractor has determined that the suspected error was system generated and not the result of a human error, the household's account will be credited by the EBT system in the amount of the alleged error. 4. If the contractor's investigation results in a denial of the recipient's SNAP claim, a notice of adverse action will be mailed to the household. The recipient may appeal the denial of the claim by requesting a Fair Hearing within 90 days of the date of the notice. 8. Non-Systems Errors Examples of non-system errors include a cashier who keys in an incorrect transaction amount, or a recipient's claim that a merchant overcharged for a purchase (for example $60.00 instead of $6.00). The recipient should be advised to return to the retailer and request a credit/SNAP return to be processed by the retailer (credit back to the SNAP account). In order to process a SNAP return at a POS terminal the card must be present and PIN entered by the cardholder. 9. Group Homes 1. Districts must continue to issue Authorized Representative CBIC cards for SNAP eligible residents of Residential Treatment Centers (RTCs) and, if requested by the facility operator, for residents of other eligible institutions. 2. Any RTC and any group home is eligible for a point-of-sale (POS) device from the EBT contractor under the 2014 Farm Bill. 3. Under the 2014 Farm Bill facilities and providers that choose not to obtain POS devices may still use manual vouchers to purchase food using the residents' SNAP benefits. References: 7 CFR 274 - Issuance and Use of Program Benefits 18 NYCRR Part 387 - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program 00 ADM-8 – Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) 06-ADM-14, Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) Customer Service Automated Response Unit (ARU) Personal Identification Number (PIN) Selection Restriction Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) Manual - OBF & DM LDSS-5004 - How to Use Your Benefit Card to Get Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP)and/or Cash Benefits 13-INF-03 – CBIC Photos for NTA-SNAP Cardholders 16-INF-17 – Revised LDSS-4942: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Authorized Representative Request Form 23-ADM-02 - Availability of Two Electronic Benefit Cards to Certain SNAP Households ebtEdge Cardholder Portal and Mobile Application