EBT Card Replacement 435-05-20-25

(Revised 10/1/11 ML #3292)

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IM 5202

 

 

Federal regulations require EBT cards be replaced within two business days following the date the household contacted the county office to request a card replacement. Clients must contact the county office to receive a replacement card.

 

Effective January 1, 2011, clients will able to receive three (3) replacement cards within a calendar year at the county office. The fourth (4) and any subsequent replacement card(s) will be mailed no later than two (2) business days after the date of request and will not be available for pickup at the county office. County staff should use good, sound professional judgment in applying this policy (i.e. cards issued to clients who may not have a clear understanding of the importance of protecting and retaining their EBT card or a household that did not request a replacement EBT card but one was inadvertently issued in error should not be counted in the three card count and documentation must be added to the casefile).

 

Verify the client’s name and current open SNAP case number in the TECS system. Prior to replacing a card, EBT Issuance Personnel must verify the number of replacements received within the calendar year. To determine how many cards have been issued, search in ebtEDGE by case number, click on card tab and previous card issued to view the number of EBT cards replaced within the calendar year.

 

Additional Information

The client should be advised to contact eFunds Customer Service Client Helpline at 1-800-630-4655 to report the card was lost or stolen. The card must be mailed to the client two business days after the report of the loss to meet federal guidelines. Do not wait for verification an EBT card has been cancelled.

 

EXAMPLE:

Note:  The ebtEDGE system will show the total number of cards issued to the household since they started receiving EBT benefits. Issuance staff must look at the “Issue Date” and count how many cards were issued within the calendar year to determine whether a replacement card may be issued over the counter or will need to be mailed within two business days.

 

The following examples apply to all replacement card requests:

  1. A household contacts the county office on Tuesday, May 3 to request a replacement card. EBT issuance personnel verify in ebtEDGE how many replacement cards the household previously received within the calendar year. If the household has received three replacement cards within the calendar year, an EBT card must be mailed no later than Thursday, May 5. The card is not available for pick up at the county office.
  2. A household contacts the county office on Wednesday, May 4 to request a replacement card. EBT issuance personnel verify in ebtEDGE how many replacement cards the household previously received within the calendar year. If the household has received three replacement cards within the calendar year and Friday is a holiday, an EBT card must be mailed no later than Monday, May 9. The card is not available for pick up at the county office.
  3. A household contacts the county office on Thursday, May 5 to request a replacement card. EBT issuance personnel verify in ebtEDGE how many replacement cards the household previously received within the calendar year. If the household has received three replacement cards within the calendar year and Monday is a holiday, an EBT card must be mailed no later than Tuesday, May 10. The card is not available for pick up at the county office.