Library: Policy
340:50-10-3. Initial issuance of Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card
Revised 9-16-19
An Access Oklahoma electronic benefit transfer (EBT) card is issued to the payee of the eligible household. A second Access Oklahoma EBT card may be issued to an authorized representative designated in writing by the household. When a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Child Care Subsidy benefits are included in the same case, the household may choose a different authorized representative for each program. Refer to Oklahoma Administrative Code 340:50-3-1 for information regarding SNAP authorized representatives. • 1 The payee and authorized representative:
(1) obtain their initial EBT cards in the county office after viewing a training video and providing proof of their identity; and • 2
(2) select a personal identification number in the county office or by calling the number on the back of the EBT card. • 3
(b) An EBT card is considered an initial card, when a:
(1) client applies for SNAP benefits for the first time;
(2) client is given a new case number;
(3) change in payee or authorized representative occurs; or • 4
(4) payee or authorized representative makes a new application and never had an initial EBT card printed.
Revised 9-16-19
1.Before issuing an Access Oklahoma electronic benefit transfer (EBT) card for an authorized representative, the worker enters demographic information about the authorized representative in the EBTU transaction of the information management system (IMS).To view instructions for entering or editing information on EBTU, enter 'M' space EBTU.The worker also enters the authorized representative's name in the 'extra address/guardian name' field (block A32) and an 'R'; in the 'extra address indicator' field (block A33) in the Family Assistance/Client Services (FACS) Interview Notebook, Case Information tab.
2.(a) Government-issued identification with a photograph is best, but not required, as any method used to identity a person is acceptable, per Oklahoma Administrative Code (OAC) 340:50-5-65.
(b) County EBT specialists cannot print Access Oklahoma EBT cards containing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food benefits.They must contact Financial Services (FS) Electronic Payment Systems (EPS) staff through the CARDR transaction to request that they remotely print initial SNAP only and SNAP with Child Care Subsidy Access Oklahoma cards to the local county embosser.Refer to OAC 340:65-3-6.1 Instruction to Staff (ITS) # 1(c) for more information about the CARDR process.
(c) The training video is the 2017 Oklahoma Department of Human Services Client EBT Training DVD and is available in English, Spanish, and closed-caption English and Spanish.When the client also applies for Child Care Subsidy, he or she must view the Child Care Subsidy EBT DVD.The county director or designee orders the DVD videos from FS EPS staff.
(1) Effective training is the best defense against repeated card replacements.County directors are encouraged to monitor EBT training to determine its effectiveness.
(2) Any county staff familiar with the EBT system may conduct client and authorized representative training.
(3) When a client is not using his or her EBT card appropriately, he or she may be asked to view the video again.
3.When the client calls the number on the back of the EBT card, 888-328-6551, he or she chooses option 1 for food benefits and option 3 for Child Care Subsidy.
4.When the payee changes on a case, the worker determines whether to give the new payee access to the current account balance before changing the payee on the information management system (IMS).
(1) To grant access to the food benefit account balance, the worker first codes the new payee as the authorized representative under the former payee by entering the new payee's name in the 'extra address/guardian name' field (block A32) and an 'R' in the 'extra address indicator' field (block A33) and then adding the new payee information on the EBTU screen.
(A) When there is already an authorized representative on the case, the EBT specialist must cancel his or her EBT card before making the new payee the authorized representative.
(B) The EBT specialist requests EPS assistance to remotely print an authorized representative EBT card for the new payee using the CARDR screen, per OAC 340:65-3-6.1 ITS #1(c)(1).
(2) After the authorized representative card prints, the worker updates the FACS Household tab to change the case name to the new payee and removes the new payee as the authorized representative on the Case Information tab.The EBT specialist then completes the CARDR screen to request EPS assistance to remotely print a new EBT card in the new payee's name, giving him or her access to future food benefits.
(3) The worker waits to deactivate the new payee as the authorized representative on the EBTU screen until the old benefits are depleted.
(4) When the worker does not grant access to past benefits in the EBT account to the new payee, the previous payee is able to access past benefits until his or her EBT card is deactivated.
