In a nutshell: If you lose access to your Electronic Benefits Transfer account, there are various steps you can take depending on the reason. Appeal if you exceed income requirements, reapply, or find resources.
Electronic Benefits Transfer allows you, as a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program participant, to pay for food using your benefits. If you rely on EBT benefits for your family's upkeep, losing it can be frustrating and confusing. Fortunately, there are various steps you can take to recover access, depending on the reasons why you lost it. If you lose your EBT benefits due to exceeding the income requirements, you can appeal the decision, re-apply, or find other resources. If you lose your EBT account access due to a lost PIN or card, here’s what to do.
If you have an EBT card, the Federal law doesn’t protect you against card theft or the loss of funds. The first step when you lose your account access is to visit the social services website.
Once you access the website homepage, navigate to the “Benefits & Services” option at the top of the page. Click it to access the benefits and services page.
EBT benefit services include cash aid, food and nutrition, child services, adult services, foster parents, youth and families, adoption services, and hearings and appeals. You can also access services catering to refugees, disaster victims, immigrants, and housing. Choose the type of servicing that your account benefits from to proceed.
The next page provides a few resources related to the service type you select. This page contains frequently asked questions about the service and other helpful information. Click “I Need Help With My EBT Card.”
Your EBT card is connected to the funds in your account. Losing it can cause the loss of funds in your account. If an individual steals your card and PIN, they can access your personal information and EBT services account. If you suspect that you’ve lost access to your account to a third party, you must contact support to change your PIN and report your EBT cards as stolen or lost. When contacting support, you must wait through two prompts for your card number and you’ll be prompted to report your card as lost or stolen. After reporting it, it gets disabled and you’re allowed to get a new card. As soon as you replace your card, you regain access to your EBT services account.
If you’ve unjustly been denied access to your EBT benefits account, you can file an appeal. Go to the website homepage and click the search icon on the top left. Type “Appeal EBT Service” and click the search icon to load results.
The results provided on the next page list appeal resources for different benefits. Depending on your EBT benefit account type, you can select the relevant appeal link to access more information.
If you click the first link, the resource opens a new page showcasing the appealable actions for child and Adult Care Food Program. Click the “Appeal Process” link to continue. Proceed by following the instructions in the appeal form to regain access to your account.
If you use your EBT benefits services account for your purchases, you must exercise caution to ensure its security. Keep your personal information and EBT cards safe to prevent theft and loss of your account benefits. If you encounter challenges while trying to regain your EBT benefits account access, contact the customer service team.
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