Worker Responsibilities - WAC 388-412-0025

Clients may have their cash assistance deposited directly into a checking or savings account by completing the Direct Deposit Enrollment - DSHS 14-432 and returning the completed form to the address on page 2 of the form, along with a pre-printed voided check, pre-printed deposit slip, or a printout from the financial institution, as this is required to complete the enrollment process.

A client who wants another person to have access to their benefits must authorize the person to be an alternate card holder.

If a responsible member of the AU cannot access the benefits for the AU because the head of household cannot complete and sign the Alternate Card Holder Authorization due to incapacity or other circumstances, document the circumstances in the case record and authorize the issuance of a Quest card for the responsible member as an alternate card holder.

If a recipient contacts you about wanting to stop receiving their benefits through EFT (Direct Deposit), you have two options to assist the client. You may delete the banking information on the EFTR screen in ACES main-frame, or you may inform the client to call the toll free number at 1-888-235-2954.

Checks for cash benefits can be mailed to a Post Office box or the CSO when a payee meets WAC 388-412-0025(1)(c) and makes this request in writing. If a recipient requests that checks be mailed to an address other than their residence address:

Inactive accounts: If you receive an ACES alert that a recipient's EBT account has been inactive for 60 days contact the recipient to determine why they have not used their benefits. If they don't know how to use their EBT card, explain how to access their benefits; If they don’t need the benefits, ask the recipient if there is other income or resources available to them. Explain that if they don’t use their account for a period of 274 days the benefits in their EBT account are expunged. Inactive benefits are automatically expunged from the recipients' accounts after 274 days of nonuse.

Direct deposit or Electronic Fund Transfers (EFT): When recipient, or a financial institution, returns the completed form and corresponding documents to you, send the form and corresponding documents to the Tacoma HIU by: Forwarding the form and documents to MS (Mail Stop) N27-26; or Faxing this form to 1-888-338-7410. Provide the recipient with the toll free number to call if they have questions about EFT: 1-888-235-2954.

Recipient chooses an alternate card holder: Explain to the recipient that an alternate card holder has access to all of the benefits in the recipient's EBT account (cash or food access only, if the client requests it); If the recipient wants to authorize another person to be an Alternate Card Holder, have the client complete and sign the DSHS 27-130, Alternate Card Holder Authorization ; and When the form is returned, authorize the issuance of a Quest card for the alternate cardholder.

Assigning an alternate card holder in special circumstances: See EBT Manual 2.12.E .

Recipient wants to end or change EFT: If a recipient wants to make a change to their EFT, provide them with the following phone number so they can have the change made: 1-888-235-2954. For details on Eligibility Worker procedures stopping/deleting EFT for active cash AUs, please refer to Chapter 10.8, section C (1) of the EBT Manual. For details on the procedures for written requests to EBT State HQ, please go to section C (2).

Post Office Box for Warrants: Verify the recipient’s current living situation; Evaluate the recipient’s reasons for wanting the check mailed; Notify the recipient of the decision; Make the necessary changes in ACES, if approved; Notify the appropriate staff of the address change; Document the action taken; and Create an alert to review the situation at least once every six months.

Combined issuance: Food benefits are issued at the same time for the month of application and the following month when a household applies on or after the 16th of the month.