Library: Policy

340:65-3-6.1. Electronic Benefits Transfer

Revised 6-1-08

      Food and child care benefits are delivered by a statewide Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) system.  • 1

Revised 9-15-23

1. (a) Electronic benefits transfer (EBT) system.  EBT provides an electronic method to deliver Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food benefits and Child Care Subsidy Program child care benefits to eligible clients and to pay child care providers.  The EBT system provides access to these benefits through the client's use of an EBT card, called Access Oklahoma, and a personal identification number (PIN).

(1) Clients choose their own PIN numbers and may PIN their cards at the Oklahoma Human Services (OKDHS) office or call the integrated voice response (IVR) number at 888-328-6551.  When they call the IVR number, they choose option 1 for SNAP and option 3 for Child Care Subsidy.

(2) When they receive SNAP food benefits and Child Care Subsidy benefits, they may use the same PIN for both benefits, but they must PIN each benefit separately before they may use their Access Oklahoma card.

(3) For SNAP, the EBT system credits benefits to the client's food benefit account.  The client uses an Access Oklahoma card to purchase food from a business the United States Department of Agriculture has approved to accept food benefits.

(4) For Child Care Subsidy, the EBT system tracks time and attendance for approved children and processes child care provider payments.  The client uses the Access Oklahoma card to swipe attendance at the child care facility.  Child care providers are paid based on swiped attendance.

(b) Training.  The client and the designated authorized representatives must view OKDHS Client EBT Cardholder Training before OKDHS issues an EBT card.  SNAP and the Child Care Subsidy Program have different training videos.  The SNAP video is available online at https://videohub.oucpm.org/2020/09/24/snap-ebt-english/ in English and at https://videohub.oucpm.org/2020/09/24/snap-ebt-spanish/ in Spanish.  The Child Care Subsidy video is online at https://videohub.oucpm.org/2020/09/23/child-care-ebt/ in English and at https://videohub.oucpm.org/2020/09/23/cuidado-de-los-ninos-ebt-spanish/ in Spanish.  When the client applies for both programs, the client must view both  videos. 

(1) Effective training is the best defense against repeated card replacements.  Field managers monitor EBT training, as necessary, to ensure its effectiveness.

(2) Financial Services (FS) Electronic Payment Systems (EPS) staff are available to visit OKDHS offices to assist in training new EBT specialists in the use of the Administrative Terminal (AT) system.  Any staff member familiar with EBT may train clients and authorized representatives.

(3) There is no requirement to view the EBT video again unless a client is not using the EBT card appropriately or the EBT video was revised since the last time the client was approved for benefits.  Refer to Oklahoma Administrative Code (OAC) 340:40-10-3 when a client receiving child care benefits misuses an EBT card.

(c) Access Oklahoma card issuance.  An initial Access Oklahoma card for food and/or child care benefits is issued to the payee after the benefits are placed in application status and the payee views the EBT training video.  A second Access Oklahoma card may be issued per program for a designated authorized representative, per (d) of this Instruction.  When SNAP and Child Care Subsidy benefits are included in the same case, the client may choose a different authorized representative for each program.  Refer to OAC 340:50-3-1 for information regarding SNAP authorized representatives and OAC 340:40-3-1 regarding Child Care Subsidy authorized representatives.

(1) FS EPS staff remotely print initial SNAP only and SNAP with Child Care Subsidy Access Oklahoma cards to the OKDHS office embosser and, in instances described in (e)(2) of this Instruction, replacement cards when requested by OKDHS office or support center staff.  An EBT card is an initial card, when:

(A) a client applies for SNAP benefits for the first time;

(B) a client is given a new case number;

(C) there is a change in payee or authorized representative; or

(D) the payee or authorized representative never had the initial card printed.

(2) To request EPS assistance, OKDHS office or support center staff enters CARDR in the Information Management System (IMS).  On the top half of the CARDR screen, staff enters all necessary information and clicks the enter key.  The CARDR screen requests that staff verify the entered information is correct.  After checking to ensure the entered information is correct, staff clicks the enter key again.  Review Quest article "EBT – Requesting EPS to Print an EBT Card" for more information.

(A) EPS staff remotely prints the card from EPPIC to the OKDHS office embosser and then sends the last four digits of the new card number back to the OKDHS office on the CARDR screen to confirm the card printed correctly.

(B) When the card prints correctly, the EBT specialist enters a "Y" on the CARDR screen in the "county office action" field and hits enter to complete the request.  When the card does not print correctly, the EBT specialist enters an "N" and comments on the CARDR screen and then hits enter to let EPS staff know the card needs to be reprinted.

(3) The EBT specialist prints Access Oklahoma cards with child care only benefits.  Access Oklahoma cards containing SNAP food benefits must be remotely printed by FS EPS staff to the county embosser.  Since child care providers are not paid until the worker approves the child care application, authorizations must be completed in a timely manner.  Child care providers have the right to decline serving children receiving OKDHS child care benefits until an approval is received.

(4) Conduent staff prints and mails SNAP replacement cards per (e) of this Instruction.  They do not have access to the EPPIC system and cannot print and mail child care EBT cards.

(5) Before giving a person an EBT card, OKDHS staff verifies the person's identity.  Government-issued identification with a photograph is best but not required.  Any method used to identify a person for program purposes is acceptable.

(6) The person selects the PIN when receiving an initial card or when the person wants to change the PIN.

(d) Authorized representative card issuance.  When the client requests an authorized representative, the client must complete an authorization on a signed application or renewal or by naming the authorized representative on a signed statement.  For SNAP benefits, the statement must clearly indicate that the client wants to allow the authorized representative access to the household's food benefits to purchase food for the household.  The authorized representative must also view the EBT training video per (b) of this Instruction.

(1) Before an EBT card may be issued for an authorized representative, the worker must enter the authorized representative's name, date of birth, Social Security number (SSN), mailing address, and phone number in the information management system (IMS) using the EBTU transaction.  To view instructions for entering or editing information on EBTU, enter "M" space EBTU.

(2) The worker must also enter 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.

(e) Replacement card issuance.  The person whose name appears on the EBT card must be the person who requests a replacement card.

(1) When a client or authorized representative requests replacement of a lost, stolen, or damaged SNAP only EBT card, OKDHS staff instructs the person to call Conduent at 1-888-328-6551 or to go online at www.connectebt.com/ to cancel the current card and request a replacement card.  Conduent staff mails the replacement card by the next business day after the person requests card cancellation and a replacement card.  Replacement cards take seven to 10-calendar days to be delivered.  Conduent does not replace EBT cards containing only child care benefits.

(A) An EBT card is considered:

(i) lost when the client had an EBT card but cannot locate it;

(ii) damaged when the EBT card is unreadable, the magnetic strip no longer works, or is torn; and

(iii) stolen when the client files a police report.

(B) When a person calls Conduent to request a replacement card, the person must provide the EBT card number and PIN.

(i) When the person does not know the EBT card number, the person waits to answer until prompted to enter the card number, report a lost or stolen card, or to enter personal information.  The person then chooses option three to enter personal information and is then prompted to provide an SSN.

(ii) When the person enters a valid SSN on file in IMS, the system prompts the person to enter the date of birth and the PIN number.  When the SSN and date of birth match the PIN number provided, the person may access the option to replace an EBT card.

(iii) When the client does not know the PIN number, Conduent staff directs the caller to contact the OKDHS office for card replacement.  Field staff confirms the person's identity and then emails FS EPS staff at EBTSNAP@okdhs.org to ask EPS to mail a replacement card  to the client.  Staff must include the client's case number, the cardholder's name, and confirmation that the IMS address is correct.

(C) When the client calls Conduent to report a stolen EBT card and request a replacement, in addition to cancelling and replacing the EBT card, Conduent staff records:

(i) the reason and circumstances for the request for cancellation and the exact date and time the call is received.  This procedure provides a tracking mechanism for any disputes that may arise if the client claims that benefits were taken from the account after the card was reported stolen; and

(ii) what information the client used to verify the client's identity.  Conduent staff frequently asks about the last place the client used the card, the amount of the purchase, and the client's shopping habits.  This further documents the report and assists law enforcement officials in efforts to determine if EBT card trafficking occurred.

(2) When a client requests more than four food benefit replacement cards in the last 12 months, a notice is sent to the client explaining:

(A) OKDHS will closely monitor the household's EBT transactions;

(B) what EBT card misuse or trafficking is ; and

(C) if the number of replacement cards ordered continues to increase, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) may conduct an investigation to ensure no fraudulent activities occurred.

(3) Field office staff only requests EPS assistance in printing a SNAP only or SNAP with child care replacement card, per (c)(1) of this Instruction, for reasons described in (A) through (E) of this subparagraph.  EPS staff remotely prints the replacement card in the OKDHS office the same day as the request.  Staff requests assistance when:

(A) the SNAP household qualifies for expedited service;

(B) an EBT card was previously issued but the applicant never received benefits or has not received food benefits within the last 24 months;

(C) a card containing SNAP benefits is returned to the OKDHS office because it is demagnetized or in an unusable condition.  When this occurs, the card is immediately deactivated and destroyed;

(D) the field manager approves requesting EPS assistance because of special circumstances, such as when a homeless person uses the OKDHS office as the homeless person's mailing address, when a treatment center client leaves the treatment center, or any other limited circumstance when a replacement card is needed right away; or

(E) the client requested a replacement card from Conduent, but the card was not received after 10-business days.

(i) Before requesting a replacement card from EPS, field staff checks to ensure:

(I) the client's address is correct in IMS and in EPPIC.  When the address is not correct, staff updates the address in IMS;

(II) it has been more than 10-business days since Conduent issued the replacement card; and

(III) there has been no activity on client's EBT card since the replacement was requested.

(ii) When these conditions occur, the client may request Conduent mail another replacement card or go to the OKDHS office to request a same-day replacement.  When the client requests a replacement card from the OKDHS office, staff verifies the client's address and confirms Conduent has not issued a replacement card within 10-business days and enters this information in the Comments area of the CARDR transaction.

(4) EBT specialists in the OKDHS office issue replacement cards for child care only benefits within two-business days of the person's request.  When the EBT card contains SNAP food benefits, FS EPS staff remotely prints the EBT card to the OKDHS office embosser.

(5) When the client requests a replacement card, leaves prior to receiving the printed card, and does not return before the business day's end, the EBT specialist destroys and logs the card that same day on the Destruction Log found at https://forms.office.com/g/FzcBQNT6yZ, Form 10EB008E, Bulk EBT Monthly Inventory Reconciliation Report, and Form 10EB002E, Daily Card Issuance Report.  OKDHS issues a new card when the client returns to the OKDHS office.

(f) Misuse of EBT card.  When OKDHS staff learns of EBT card misuse, the EBT specialist or FS EPS staff may may cancel the EBT card.  The EBT specialist may not issue a replacement card containing SNAP benefits.

(1) Misuse of the EBT card for child care subsidy benefits may occur when the client or authorized representative gives the EBT card to another person, such as the child care provider, to swipe attendance or the client knowingly swipes incorrect attendance dates and times.  Refer to OAC 340:40-10-3 for child care procedures.

(2) Misuse of the food benefit EBT card occurs when the client's EBT card number is continually entered manually.  FS EPS staff receives a report from OIG showing when this occurs.  When FS EPS staff receives this report, the staff person:

(A) notifies the client by letter that the client's EBT card will be deactivated 30-calendar days from the date on the letter.  To avoid the closure, the client obtains a new EBT card from the OKDHS office and watches the training video prior to the end of the 30-calendar day period; and

(B) deactivates the EBT card 30-calendar days from the letter-issuance date when the client does not watch the video and obtains a new EBT card before that date.

(g) Food benefit issuance dates.  The date food benefits issue varies.

(1) OKDHS sends regular roll benefits to Conduent after deadline each month.  Regular roll food benefit issuance is staggered and issued over three days each month to improve SNAP households' access to fresh food products, particularly in rural areas with smaller grocery stores.  The date food benefits issue for a household is determined by the last digit of the household's case number.  Food benefits issue on the:

(A) first day of the month for case numbers ending with zero through three;

(B) fifth day of the month for case numbers ending with four through six; and

(C) tenth day of the month for case numbers ending with seven through nine.

(2) Food benefits certified for the current month issue based on the staggered schedule in (1) of this subsection when the:

(A) household is not eligible for expedited service; and

(B) regular roll issuance date is a future date.

(3) Food benefits issue immediately:

(A) for the first month of certification when the household is eligible for expedited food benefits or the regular roll issuance dates have already occurred for the month.  Benefits for the next month are issued based on the information in (1) of this subsection;

(B) when the household is certified for a retro month; and

(C) when the household is approved for supplemental or replacement food benefits.

(4) When Conduent posts benefits, the status block changes to "P."  Refer to the "BN" transaction by entering "M" space" BN."

(h) Payee change.  Before changing the payee on a case, the worker determines whether to give the new payee access to the current account balance.

(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 on the FACS Case Information tab, 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.  When there is already an authorized representative on the case, the EBT specialist must cancel the representative's EBT card before making the new payee the authorized representative.  The EBT specialist requests EPS assistance in remotely printing an authorized representative EBT card for the new payee using the CARDR screen, per (c)(1) of this Instruction.

(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 per (c)(1) of this Instruction to request EPS assistance in remotely printing a new EBT card in the name for the new payee which gives him or her access to future food benefits.

(3) The worker does not deactivate the new payee as an authorized representative on the EBTU screen until the old benefits are depleted.

(4) A payee removed from a case is able to access past benefits in the EBT account that were not used unless the payee's card is deactivated.

(i) Authorized representative change.  When the payee, or for food benefits, another adult household member, requests a new authorized representative, the payee or adult household member must do so in writing per (d) of this Instruction.  The EBT specialist immediately deactivates the current authorized representative's EBT card using the EBTU transaction.  For food benefits, immediate card deactivation prevents misuse of the household's food benefits by the current authorized representative.  Refer to (c)(1) and (2) and (d) of this Instruction for instructions on activating and printing an EBT card for the new authorized representative.

(j) Expungement of food benefits.  The client must access the food benefit account at least once every 274-calendar days to keep the food benefit EBT account active.  When the client does not access the EBT account within this time period, OKDHS expunges the EBT account by removing the inactive balance.  OKDHS sends an expungement notice at least 30-calendar days before expunging the benefit and may not reissue any expunged amounts.

(k) Out-of-state moves.  The Access Oklahoma card may be used to access food benefits in most states.  Most major retailers accept the Access Oklahoma card.

(1) When a client notifies the worker the client moved or plans to move to another state, the worker instructs the client to use the Access Oklahoma card in Oklahoma, when possible, before leaving the state.  When the household has already moved and has trouble locating a retailer that accepts the Access Oklahoma card, the worker gives the household the phone number for the local food benefit office and suggests the household contact the local office for help.  The worker may contact OKDHS EPS staff for a list of retailers in the new state to send the client.

(2) The worker updates the client's address and closes food benefits, child care benefits, or both, effective the first day of the next month following the next negative action deadline date, per OKDHS Appendix B-2, Deadlines for Case Actions, and enters a case note regarding the move and benefit closure.

(3) If a client has moved and the client contacts the OKDHS office to request a replacement card, staff refers the client to Conduent to request a replacement card and updates the client's address, when needed.

(l) Separation of duties.  Federal regulations require a separation of duties between persons who certify benefits, issue SNAP EBT cards, and have access to the EBT AT to make updates in the EPPIC system.  This means staff may not have update access to PS-2 or FACS and update access to the AT.  This protects employees from any appearance of inappropriate conduct in benefit issuance.

(1) FS EPS staff remotely print SNAP EBT cards statewide, per (c) of this Instruction.  EBT specialists are responsible for printing all child care only EBT cards.

(2) EBT specialists, with read-only access privileges, continue to:

(A) train clients, authorized representatives, and additional card holders;

(B) operate the EBT AT with inquiry only access;

(C) maintain card inventory records;

(D) operate the embosser;

(E) assist in PIN selection, when needed;

(F) give the client the EBT card printed in the OKDHS office by EPS staff;

(G) look up a client transaction history and pull EPPIC reports;

(H) print child care only cards; and

(I) link child care to SNAP.

(m) Timely reporting of changes.  The worker explains to clients the importance of reporting timely address and shelter expense changes so the correct benefit amount issues.  When a client reports a change of address or shelter expense, the worker updates appropriate computer fields and documents the change in the FACS case notes.

(n) Card security.  The field manager is the designated security officer for card receipt and issuance.  All Access Oklahoma cards must be inventoried at the time of receipt and kept locked in the field manager's office or another secure location.  The designated EBT specialist completes Form 10EB001E, Daily Card Count, and Form 10EB002E each day.  These forms are kept three years for audit and review purposes.

(o) Ordering cards.  The field manager or designee orders Access Oklahoma cards, sleeves, or ink ribbons by sending an email to  CardSupport@conduent.com.

(1) The email must contain the:

(A) name of the OKDHS office;

(B) OKDHS office physical address including the Zip code;

(C) contact person's name and phone number; and

(D) supplies needed.

(2) When the email is sent to Conduent before 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, the cards are sent out the next business day via ground transport from Houston, Texas.  When the email is sent after 3:30 p.m., there is a 24-hour delay.