MR #23.31: New Notice of Denial on Replacement of EBT Benefits Due to Theft

Illinois Department of Human Services logo

10/31/2023

Summary

  • This manual release is a follow-up to MR #23.23: Replacement of Stolen SNAP Benefits Due to Electronic Theft, dated 07/03/2023. Certain EBT theft claims do not qualify for a benefit replacement and are not programmed in the Integrated Eligibility System (IES) to systematically mail the denial reason to customers.
  • New Form IL444-5355, Notice of Denial on Replacement of EBT Benefits Due to Theft, has been created for the Family Community Resource Center (FCRC) worker to complete when a theft claim is denied for one of the reasons listed on the form. 
  • A worker must complete and send Form IL444-5355 to deny a claim that is filed for replacement of Pandemic-Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) benefits and/or Victims of Trafficking, Torture or other Serious Crimes (VTTC) benefits.
  • A worker must also send a manual Form IL444-5355 to deny a claim that is invalid, or the customer was not in possession of their Link card at the time the theft transactions occurred or is not a victim of electronic theft.
  • Form IL444-5355 (English) and Form IL444-5355S (Spanish) are available in the OneNet Forms Library.
  • IES systematically sends all other EBT theft claim approval and denial notices to customers, including a denial notice for EBT Cash benefits that are not allowed to be replaced at this time.  
  • The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (the Omnibus) signed into law on December 29, 2022 allows state agencies to use federal funds to replace stolen EBT SNAP benefits to victims of card skimming, cloning, scamming, phishing and other similar fraudulent methods. On 07/03/2023, the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) began processing stolen SNAP benefit claims received from victims of electronic theft.
  • This manual release is a follow-up to MR #23.23: Replacement of Stolen SNAP Benefits Due to Electronic Theft, dated 07/03/2023, and adds new denial reasons to use when an EBT theft claim is submitted for replacement of:
    • Pandemic-Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) benefits; and/or
    • Victims of Trafficking, Torture, or other Serious Crimes (VTTC) benefits.
    • The denial reason: Benefits received under these programs cannot be replaced (PM 22-03-02).
  • Form IL444-5355 is also used to deny theft claims that:
    • are invalid and cannot be processed; or
    • the customer was not in possession of their Link card at the time the theft transactions occurred; or  
    • the customer is not a victim of electronic theft.
  • An invalid claim is when a customer did not complete all the required fields on the Report of Electronic Theft of Illinois Link Benefits (Form IL444-4986) and/or include a signature.
  • Prior to denying the claim, workers should make two attempts to contact the customer by phone to confirm that the questions were understood, and the customer did not make a mistake when completing the form.  
    • If contact is successful and it is determined that the customer has a valid claim, but did not complete it accurately, process the claim.
    • If contact is unsuccessful, deny the claim and send IL444-5355 using the denial reason: Your claim is invalid and cannot be processed (PM 22-03-02).
  • Document in Case Comments all actions taken.

Manual Revisions

PM 01-07-04

PM 22-01-01-j

PM 22-02-06

PM 22-03-02

WAG 22-02-06

WAG 22-03-02

[signed copy on file]

Dulce M. Quintero

Secretary Designate, Illinois Department of Human Services

Forms referenced:

Form IL444-0370

Form IL444-4986

Form IL444-5355

Form IL444-5355S