Overview – Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT)

T AFDC and EAEDC benefits are issued through Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT), Direct Deposit, or checks which are mailed.

SNAP benefits are issued through EBT only.

State law requires the use of photo identification on the front of each EBT card, with some exceptions. See the Photo EBT Requirements for more details.

With the EBT system, clients have access to cash at bank automated teller machines (ATMs) displaying the NYCE logo and access to cash assistance and/or SNAP benefits at Point-of-Sale (POS) terminals in food stores displaying the QUEST logo. Accessing EBT cash assistance at a POS terminal in a store is called a cash-back transaction.

Accessing EBT SNAP benefits at a store that does not have a POS terminal occurs through the manual voucher process, which is similar to a credit card process. The vendor will write the client’s EBT card number on a voucher form for the amount of the food purchase and then call a toll-free number to ensure there is a sufficient balance and debit the client’s EBT SNAP benefits.

The availability of benefits through EBT eliminates the issuance of checks, replacement of lost or stolen checks and delays in delivery.

Direct Deposit is the method by which clients access TAFDC and/or EAEDC cash benefits that are not issued by EBT or check. TAFDC and/or EAEDC cash benefits are deposited directly into a client’s own bank account.

The Department requires participation in Direct Deposit for any client who has a bank account. Direct Deposit is the most efficient, cost-effective way for clients to receive their cash benefits.

Checks are the method by which certain clients receive cash benefits that are not issued by EBT or Direct Deposit.

EAEDC clients who receive their cash benefits by check and not through EBT are those whose living arrangement is a residential facility such as an institution, rest home, therapeutic community center or detoxification center.

TAFDC clients who receive their cash benefits by check and not through EBT are those who do not have Direct Deposit and who are living temporarily out of state.

The method by which benefits are to be issued will be determined automatically. You may put a grantee on Direct Deposit or remove a grantee from Direct Deposit once the case status is active and the Interview Wrap-up Request is authorized.

To change the method by which benefits are issued or to view information about how benefits are issued:

1. Access the Home Page
2. Click on the Program Administration workflow
3. Click on the Benefit Issuance Mechanism view; and
4. Select the program (TAFDC, EAEDC, FS) - This will automatically populate the Program section under the Benefit tab

Information found under the Benefit tab includes:

• Program - automatically populated when the program was selected above.
• Mechanism - shows the method by which the client receives benefits for a particular program: EBT, Direct Deposit, or Check. If the Mechanism field is blank or shows Purged, this is an indication that a new EBT card and PIN must be issued. It is important to ensure that the client or former client has an active Mass EBT card to access any benefits.

Current Mass EBT cards will remain active until a replacement card is issued.

• Direct Deposit - Direct Deposit is only available to grantees with a valid SSN, and cannot be established without one.
• Direct Deposit Status - the status of the direct deposit
• Date - the date the direct deposit status changed
• Institution Information - Click on the dropdown box and select the bank or institution.

This will automatically populate the information in the following display-only boxes:

• Name - identifies the name of the bank or institution.
• Type - identifies the type of account, i.e., checking or savings.
• Account Number - identifies the client’s account number on their checking or savings account to which the cash benefit is being deposited.
• Routing Number - identifies the bank number where the client has the checking or savings account to which the cash benefit is being deposited.

Client Who Moves Out of State

If a client notifies you that s/he will be moving out of state, determine with the client whether the absence will be temporary, and explain program residency requirements. (See Out_of_State_EBT_Card_Usage_Match for further information.) When a client notifies you that they are moving out of state, you must:

Cash Programs

Advise the client that EBT cash may be accessed at an out-of-state ATM that displays the NYCE logo. However, since not all states have NYCE, the client should access all EBT cash assistance before leaving Massachusetts, and/or

Clients temporarily absent from Massachusetts may receive a check while in another state. The system automatically stops cash assistance through EBT when the mailing address is a state other than Massachusetts. The system will automatically reestablish cash assistance through EBT when the address is changed back to Massachusetts.

Advise the client to access the EBT SNAP benefits, if possible, before leaving Massachusetts. The client may also access their SNAP benefits in the State they relocate to using their EBT card.

To access cash assistance or SNAP benefits, the client must use the EBT card and personal identification number (PIN).

The client may also appoint an authorized representative to access SNAP benefits or an authorized payee to access cash assistance. You must ensure that clients are aware of these options.

The EBT card should be issued at application. An eligible client should not be required to return to the TAO for an EBT card after their case is approved. (If the case is denied, the EBT card will be of no use since no benefits will be deposited in the EBT account.)

A replacement EBT card must be issued, if requested, to a client with benefits remaining in their EBT account, even if the case is closed. A replacement EBT card must not be issued to a closed case if no benefits remain in the EBT account and the client has not applied for benefits.

There may be a fee to replace the card . See TAFDC, EAEDC and SNAP - EBT Card Fees, Replacements and Notices for further details and requirements.

A client of both cash and SNAP benefits needs only one EBT card to access both. Cash benefits cannot be accessed without an EBT card unless the client is on direct deposit.

Initial and replacement EBT cards for applicants and clients may be issued by mail as well as in the TAO. This capability is for applicants and clients only. This does not apply to authorized representatives or authorized payees.

Requesting a Primary Card for An Applicant

To request a Primary card, complete the Request for Assistance workflow. You must check the Request Primary EBT Card checkbox on the Request for Assistance view to initiate a request for a Primary EBT card for the applicant.

If the Benefit Mechanism View shows EBT Purged, then the Request Primary EBT Card checkbox will be checked automatically.

T he EBT Card Request Identity pop-up view will appear when the Request New EBT Card checkbox is selected. You must select the type of verification used to prove identity.

This EBT verification is different and separate from the Eligibility Explorer verification. Once you complete the Request for Assistance view, the case will appear on the Pending EBT Card Request view. The EBT clerk will access this view to create the card.

Issuing an EBT Card

It is necessary to verify identity before issuing an EBT card. EBT cards must be issued on Day 1 provided the applicant provides proof of identity.

If identity is verified on Day 1 , i.e. the client shows you proof of identity during the in-office interview or the client has mailed-in or dropped-off proof of identity, you must:

upon completion of the RFA, check the Request Primary EBT Card box; and

select the item used to verify identity from the EBT Card Request Identity dropdown list in the RFA or for Web applicants, verify identity in the EBT Card Request page in EBT Client List

For a walk-in applicant, send the applicant to the EBT clerk, who will:

1. go to Pending EBT Card Request view under the Daily Priority Actions
2. verify identity using the verification selected by you
3. create and issue the EBT card; and
4. have the applicant select a PIN

For an EBT card by mail, you must:

1. from the EBT Client list, EBT Card Request page, select the record and fill out the required fields; and
2. select Central Print from the Print Location dropdown list so the request is processed for an EBT card/PIN by mail

If identity is not verified on Day 1, you must:

1. on Day 2, check the Verifications tab to see if the SSN has been validated through SVES.
2. once the applicant’s SSN is validated through SVES:
3. verify identity in the EBT Card Request page/EBT Client List by selecting Validated by SSA/SDX
4. fill out the required fields; and
5. select Central Print so the request is processed for an EBT card/PIN by mail

If no SSN is provided, or identity is questionable, you must request verification of identity before issuing an EBT card in person or by mail.

When a client requests an EBT card in-person and the client’s social security number has not yet been verified by SVES on Day 1, the issuance of the EBT card must not be denied if verification of identity is available. Verification of identity includes – but is not limited to – a driver’s license or state issued I.D., passport, birth certificate or hospital birth record, court or other government documents, military service papers, employment papers, and wage stubs. Verification of identity cannot be restricted solely to a photo I.D.

If the client provides acceptable verification of identity, the EBT card must be issued.

• Example: Tara comes into a TAO on 5/20 to apply for SNAP. During the application process, Tara verifies her identity with her birth certificate. The case manager processing her application submits a SVES request for Tara on 5/20. However, due to the time of the submission, SVES is not scheduled to return a result until 5/22. At the end of her application interview, the case manager refers Tara to the EBT clerk for her EBT card. When asked, Tara presents a copy of her birth certificate to the EBT clerk. Even though the SVES inquiry for Tara is pending, the EBT card must be issued to Tara.

If an applicant eligible for expedited benefits comes to the TAO and requests an EBT card and the EBT card was initially issued by mail , you must:

1. on the day the applicant visits the TAO, send the applicant to the EBT Clerk for a replacement EBT card/PIN to be issued immediately to the applicant
2. tell the applicant that identification must be shown to the EBT clerk; and
3. explain to the applicant that the EBT card/PIN that were mailed will be immediately deactivated and must be destroyed upon receipt

Requesting an Initial Card for an Assisting Person for the Applicant

To add a new Assisting Person for the applicant, you must:

1. access the Assisting Person view
2. uncheck the None checkbox
3. select the Assisting Role from the drop down list; and
4. complete all applicable fields

If the Assisting Person is an Agency, you must:

1. enter the agency name and FEIN;
2. click the Popup List button next to Name to select the Assisting Person;
3. select the Assisting Person’s Relationship to the Applicant. This is a mandatory field for all assisting person roles except Authorized Rep-EBT and Authorized Rep-EBT/Agency; and

If the Assisting Person has a Relationship of Unrelated, select from the drop down box the unrelated description to the applicant. If the unrelated description is Other, type the description in the Other field.

1. click the Add button to save the Assisting Person information to the select list

To stop an existing Assisting Person role, you must access the Assisting Person view and:

1. select the record from the select list
2. change the Role Exists to No
3. change the Start Date
4. click the Update button to save the Assisting Person information to the select list; and
5. change the status of the Assisting Person’s card in the Electronic Payment Processing Information Control (EPPIC) system, or instruct the client to do so by calling EBT Customer Service at 1-800-997-2555

To request a new card for an Assisting Person, you must access the Assisting Person view and select the record from the select list; and check the Request New EBT Card check box and the Image-10 check box.

Requesting a Replacement Card for a Client or Assisting Person

The EBT Client List icon is accessed to initiate a request for a replacement card, a re-PIN or in limited circumstances, a new card.

The EBT Client List icon is accessed to initiate a request for a new card when the RFA has been completed and the card request process on the Request for Assistance/Signature view for an applicant was not initiated.

1. click the EBT Client List icon which displays the client list view
2. select the method (Personal, SSN, Client ID or EBT Card ID) to find the client’s card data

The Client ID and EBT Card ID fields have been added as a way to select the client. The Client ID is a unique nine digit number (equal to the AP_ID in name clearance). The EBT Card ID is the eighteen digit Primary Account Number (PAN) which will be listed on the client’s EBT card.

To issue a replacement EBT card and/or PIN or, in limited circumstances, a new card:

1. in the Tools Tab in the Electronic Case File, select the grantee’s name and click the EBT Request Icon that appears above the client search results
2. in the Request Type drop down box, select the type of requested action (i.e. New or Replacement Card or Re-pin an existing card)

The EBT Client List icon is accessed to initiate a request for a new card when the RFA has been completed and the card request process on the Request for Assistance/Signature view for an applicant was not initiated.

1. in the Card Type drop down box, select the type of card being requested
2. select either Local or Central in the Print Location field
3. select the appropriate form of identity verification from the drop down selection in the Identity field

If a client’s identity is verified in BEACON, when you select Central print for a Primary card, the Identity field defaults to the verification type Processed by Batch. You do not need to change it.

The EBT Request page can also be accessed from the Client Search page by selecting the grantee’s name and clicking the EBT Request Icon that appears above the client search results.

If the request is for an Assisting Person, you must also:

1. select the type of verification used to prove the identity of the assisting person on the EBT Card Request Identity pop-up view; and
2. have the client and assisting person complete the Image-10

The Image-10 must be received to complete the card request. The Image-10 can be printed locally and given to the Assisting Person or can be printed centrally and mailed out the client

P ending EBT Card Request View

Once you have completed a request for an EBT card, the grantee will be listed on the Pending EBT Card Request view listed under Daily Priority Actions. You will see only your own caseload list while the EBT clerk will see the entire TAO list. The view is sorted by Print location with Local first then alphabetically by the grantee last name. When the EBT card is created by the EBT clerk the grantee is removed from the view.

Emergency EBT Card

If an EBT card is needed but Card issuance System is inoperable, an emergency EBT Card can be issued. The EBT Clerk will:

• check Emergency Card Issued and enter the pre-numbered PAN from the Emergency Card on the EBT Card Detail view
• click the Submit button to electronically transmit the Emergency PAN to the EPPIC system
• have the applicant or client select a PIN
• give the applicant or client the pre-numbered Emergency Card

If BEACON is unable to electronically transmit to the EPPIC system the Emergency Card PAN just entered manually by you, the EBT clerk will:

• enter the client data and PAN onto the EPPIC system by using the administrative terminal.
• select the Admin Terminal checkbox on the EBT Card Detail view.
• have the applicant or client select a PIN.
• give the applicant or client the pre-numbered Emergency Card.

Canceling an Authorized Representative or Authorized Payee

A client may cancel an authorized representative or authorized payee at any time by calling EBT Customer Service at 1-800-997-2555. EBT Customer Service will immediately cancel the access of the authorized representative or authorized payee to the client’s cash or SNAP benefits.

Lost or Stolen EBT Cards

Lost or stolen EBT cards must be reported to EBT Customer Service at 1-800-997-2555. EBT Customer Service will then invalidate the lost or stolen card. Once a lost or stolen EBT card has been reported by the client to DTA, a replacement card must be issued. The PIN can remain the same or be changed at the cardholder’s request.

Returned EBT Cards

When an EBT card is returned for any reason other than a change in the Social Security number, it will be automatically canceled on the EPPIC system when it is replaced. If an EBT card is returned and not replaced, the EBT Clerk must manually cancel the card on EPPIC. All returned cards must be immediately hole-punched through the magnetic stripe and returned to Central Office at:

Department of Transitional Assistance

Benefit Issuance Unit – 5th floor

600 Washington Street

Boston, MA 02111

Personal Identification Number (PIN)

Each client, authorized representative and authorized payee must have a PIN to access EBT cash and/or SNAP benefits. A PIN is a four-digit number that must be used with the EBT card at an ATM or POS terminal. Remind applicants, clients, authorized representatives and authorized payees that the PIN must be kept secret and must not be written on or near the EBT card.

PINs for Applicants, Clients, Authorized Representatives or Authorized Payees

Most applicants, clients, authorized representatives or authorized payees who need a PIN should select a PIN at the same time that they get their EBT card.

The EBT Clerk must verify the method of identification before a PIN is selected. The applicant, client, authorized representative or authorized payee enters their PIN on the PIN Selection System and the EBT Clerk ensures system acceptance.

An applicant, client, authorized representative or authorized payee may change their PIN at any time by coming to the TAO and requesting a new PIN. An applicant, client, authorized representative and authorized payee can also select a new PIN by calling EBT Customer Service at 1- 800-997-2555. They will be required to enter their 18-digit card number, date of birth and the last four digits of their SSN to verify their identity before selecting a PIN.

Because of the ability to select a personalized PIN both at the TAO and by phone, the mailed PIN option, which generates a random PIN, should be considered as a last option for PIN issuance.

PINs by mail are issued overnight. The client should allow five business days for receipt of the PIN in the mail. If a client notifies the TAO that a PIN was not received, either the case manager or EBT clerk must check the Card Issuance System to verify when the PIN was issued. If five days have elapsed, the PIN should be reissued.

EBT Cards and Expedited SNAP Benefits

A SNAP applicant eligible for expedited SNAP benefits must be given an opportunity to participate within seven calendar days following the date of application. Opportunity to participate means that the applicant must have: (a) an EBT card, (b) a PIN and (c) SNAP benefits deposited into the EBT account no later than the seventh calendar day after the application filing date.

Non-expedited or Regular EBT SNAP Benefits

An eligible applicant for SNAP benefits who is not eligible for expedited SNAP benefits must be given an opportunity to participate within 30 calendar days following the date of application. Opportunity to participate means that the applicant must have SNAP benefits deposited into the EBT account no later than the 30th calendar day after the application filing date.

Special SNAP Living Situations

Residents of group living arrangements, excluding Parents under 22 in Structured Living Programs, may apply and be certified:

• through the use of an authorized representative who is an employee of and designated by the facility
• on their own behalf, or
• through the use of an authorized representative of their own choice

The facility shall make the determination on how a resident must apply. The determination shall be based on the resident’s physical and mental ability to handle their own affairs. All residents of the group living arrangement do not have to be certified the same way.

Young Parent Living Program (YPLP). Residents shall either apply and be certified for SNAP benefits on their own or through the use of an authorized representative employed and designated by the YPLP. If the YPLP has an on-site POS terminal or uses the EBT manual voucher system, the resident or the facility, as the authorized representative, must authorize the transfer of the monthly SNAP benefits to the YPLP. The YPLP may either receive and spend the SNAP benefits for food prepared by and served to the resident and their children, or allow the resident to use all or any portion of the SNAP benefits on his or her own behalf.

If the YPLP facility does not have an on-site POS terminal or EBT manual voucher system, the YPLP, as the authorized representative, may either receive and spend the SNAP benefits for food prepared and served to the resident and their children, or allow the resident to use all or any portion of the SNAP benefits on their own behalf.