PM 22-01-01-j: Customer Liabilities

WAG 22-01-01-j.

Customer Misuse

  • Revised Manual TextAny benefit loss that occurs due to the customer's own misuse of the card and/or PIN is the customer's responsibility. This includes if the Illinois Link card is lost, stolen, or misused. Benefits lost in this manner will not be replaced.

Electronic Theft

Revised textOn 12/21/2024 the American Relief Act, 2025 was signed into law ending the replacement stolen of EBT SNAP benefits to victims of card skimming, cloning, scamming, phishing, and other similar fraudulent methods. Customers filing reports of theft that occurred after 12/20/2024 will still be accepted and processed, however the claim(s) will be denied. Customers that file reports of theft that occurred on or before 12/20/2024 whose reports are received after 12/20/2024 will still be accepted and processed. Theft claims through 12/20/2024 can still be approved if all eligibility measures are met.

  • The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (the Omnibus), signed into law December 29, 2022, allows the replacement of stolen EBT SNAP benefits to victims of card skimming, cloning, and scamming through fraudulent phone calls, text messaging, phishing and other similar fraudulent methods. A customer must file a Report of Electronic Theft of Illinois Link Benefits to request a replacement. revised manual materialThe theft must have occurred between 10/01/2022 through 12/20/2024 and other eligibility criteria must be met to determine if a replacement can be issued.  See (PM 22-03-02) for SNAP Replacement Due to EBT Electronic Theft.
  • A Report of Electronic Theft of Illinois Link Benefits claim will be denied if filed for benefits that are ineligible for replacement.
    • Illinois Link Cash benefits are not eligible for a EBT theft replacement at this time.
    • Benefits received under the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) and/or 
    • Victims of Trafficking, Torture, or other Serious Crimes (VTTC) programs cannot be replaced under the law.
  • Benefits are not replaced if:
    • the customer was not in possession of their Link card at the time the theft transactions occurred; or
    • was not a victim of electronic theft; or
    • the theft claim is invalid and cannot be processed. An invalid claim is when a customer does not complete all the required fields on the Report of Electronic Theft of Illinois Link Benefits and/or include a signature.

Note: The law does not change current federal regulations prohibiting replacement of SNAP benefits lost due to a customer's misuse of their EBT card and/or PIN.