Current through Register Vol. 24-06, March 15, 2024
(1)
You can choose to get your cash benefits by:
(a) Electronic benefit transfer (EBT), which
is a direct deposit into a DSHS account that you access with a debit card
called the Washington EBT Quest card;
(b) Electronic funds transfer (EFT), which is
a direct deposit into your own bank account;
(c) A warrant (check) to an approved
authorized representative (AREP);
(d) A warrant (check) to a payee who is not
approved for direct deposit; or
(e)
A warrant (check) to you if you get:
(i)
Diversion cash assistance (DCA) that is not paid directly to a
vendor;
(ii) Ongoing additional
requirements (OAR) and are receiving SSI; or
(iii) Clothing and personal incidentals (CPI)
payments.
(2)
We send your basic food benefits to you by EBT.
(3) EBT accounts:
(a) We set up an EBT account for the head of
household of each assistance unit (AU) that receives benefits by EBT.
(b) You use a Quest debit card to access your
benefits in your EBT account. You select a personal identification number (PIN)
that you must enter when using this card.
(c) You must use your cash and basic food
benefits from your EBT account. We cannot transfer cash to your bank account or
change cash or basic food benefits to checks.
(4)
Suspended EBT benefits:
(a) We suspend access to benefits from your
EBT account if:
(i) You are a single-person
household; and
(ii) We are notified
that you are incarcerated over 30 days.
(b) You must contact the department upon
release to activate your EBT account for use within 48 hours.
(5)
Unused EBT
benefits:
(a) If you do not use your
EBT account within 274 days, we cancel the cash and basic food on your account;
or
(b) Benefits on your account
will be cancelled upon verification you and all members of your household are
deceased.
(6)
Replacing benefits:
(a)
Replacing basic food benefits: We cannot replace
cancelled basic food benefits.
(b)
Replacing cash benefits: We can replace cancelled
cash benefits for you or another member of your assistance unit. Cash benefits
are not transferable to someone outside of your assistance unit.
(c)
Replacing cash warrants:
(i) If we issued you cash benefits as a
warrant we can replace these benefits for you or a member of your assistance
unit. Cash benefits are not transferable to someone outside of your assistance
unit.
(ii) If we issued the
benefits as a warrant 160 or fewer days ago, your local office can replace the
warrant.
(iii) If we issued the
benefits as a warrant more than 160 days ago, the Office of Accounting Services
(OAS) can replace the warrant. We will contact OAS with the request.
(7)
Correcting
your EBT balance: When you make a purchase with your EBT card a system
error can occur where the purchase amount is not deducted from your EBT
account. When the error is discovered the following will happen:
(a) You will be notified in writing of the
system error before the money is removed from your account; and
(b) You will have 90 days to request an
administrative hearing. If you ask for an administrative hearing within 10
calendar days, the money will not be removed from your EBT account unless:
(i) You withdraw your administrative hearing
request in writing;
(ii) You do not
follow through with the administrative hearing process; or
(iii) The administrative law judge tells us
in writing to remove the money.
Statutory Authority:
RCW
74.04.050,
74.04.055,
74.04.057, and
74.08.090. 12-14-052, §
388-412-0025, filed 6/28/12, effective 8/1/12. Statutory Authority:
RCW
74.04.050,
74.04.055,
74.04.057,
74.04.500,
74.04.510,
74.04.005,
74.08.090,
74.08A.020, 7 C.F.R. 274.12 and
Quest operating rules. 09-21-071, § 388-412-0025, filed 10/16/09,
effective 11/16/09. Statutory Authority:
RCW
74.04.050,
74.04.055,
74.04.057,
74.04.500,
74.04.510,
74.04.515,
74.08.090, and 7 C.F.R. 274.12.
07-04-029, § 388-412-0025, filed 1/29/07, effective 3/1/07. Statutory
Authority:
RCW
74.04.050,
74.04.055,
74.04.057,
74.04.510,
74.08.090. 05-17-089, §
388-412-0025, filed 8/12/05, effective 9/12/05. Statutory Authority:
RCW
74.04.050,
74.04.055,
74.04.057,
74.04.510. 03-22-038, §
388-412-0025, filed 10/28/03, effective 12/1/03. Statutory Authority:
RCW
74.04.510 and
74.08.090. 02-18-105, §
388-412-0025, filed 9/3/02, effective 10/4/02; 01-18-054, § 388-412-0025,
filed 8/30/01, effective 9/30/01. Statutory Authority:
RCW
74.04.050,
74.04.055,
74.04.057 and
74.08.090. 98-16-044, §
388-412-0025, filed 7/31/98, effective
9/1/98.