WAG 22-01-01-m: Expunged Benefits

PM 22-01-01-m

revised manual textExpunged Benefits Due to Account Inactivity

(Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) Unit) Reviews all Illinois Link EBT Accounts and sends notification to households receiving Cash and/or Food Assistance (SNAP/State Food) benefits that are at risk of losing benefits because they have not accessed their account to make purchases.

  • Cash and/or Food Assistance (SNAP/State Food) benefits are expunged for non-use once two conditions are met:
    • Benefits have been available to the customer for at least 274 days (9 months) from the availability date; and
    • No purchase EBT transaction has been made with that type of benefit for 274 days (9 months) from the last transaction date.
  • If the customer receives both Cash and Food Assistance (SNAP/State Food) benefits and only uses one of the accounts, benefits in the unused account are removed if no activity has occurred within 274 days (9 months).
  • Balance inquiries and benefit deposits do not count as benefit use. Benefits will not be removed if a purchase is made within the time frame. A purchase for any amount will start the counter over for the 274 day time frame.
    • Note: No action is required by the FCRCs for this process. Benefits that have been expunged are no longer available to the customer and cannot be reissued.

new manual textNotice of Expunged Benefits and System Action

  1. (EBT System) No later than 30 days prior to expunging benefits, generates Form IL444-4500/4500S, Notice of a Change to your Illinois Link Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) Account, to send to the applicable Cash and/or Food Assistance (SNAP/State Food) household that has not accessed their benefits within the time frame. 
    1. The notice informs the household of the benefit type and the amount that will be expunged unless a purchase is made by the date listed on the notice.
    2. The entire balance does not need to be spent. A purchase for any amount will start the counter over for the 274 day time frame.
      • Note: A record of the notice is not in the ECR within IES. If a copy of the notice is needed, staff must obtain the copy out of Mobius.
  2. (EBT System) Reduces the Illinois Link Account by the amount of monthly Cash or Food Assistance (SNAP/State Food) that has gone unused for 274 days after the last EBT transaction or the availability date of the issuance. A file is created to match with ARS to determine if there is a claim. If an outstanding claim exists, the expunged benefit is applied against the same type of benefit assistance claim.

new manual textExpunged Benefits Due to Death

  1. (EBT Unit) Systematically removes Cash and/or Food Assistance (SNAP/State Food) benefits from the Illinois Link EBT Account on the next workday following the cancellation of a case whose only member is deceased and the death has been verified.
  2. (FCRC) If information from a source, including a Death Crossmatch is received and has not been reported by the household, sends Verification Checklist (IL444-0267) and allows the household 10 calendar days to respond before taking a negative action against benefits. This is to prevent benefits from being terminated or reduced based solely on information that has not been confirmed with the household and may be inaccurate. No action is taken against benefits if it is confirmed that the information received was not correct.
    1. A household with more than one member may confirm with the FCRC if the information is accurate and their statement is sufficient verification.
    2. For a household with only one member, if the Verification Checklist is returned as undeliverable or the household does not respond, the Notice of Decision is sent to the last known address with the appropriate cancellation reason.
  3. (IES) Sends the Notice of Decision with the appropriate cancellation reason. Any remaining Cash and/or Food Assistance (SNAP/State Food) benefits in the Illinois Link EBT Account will be removed from the account on the next workday after the cancellation has been certified.

Summer EBT Expunged Benefits

(System) Reduces the Illinois Link Account by the amount of Summer EBT benefit that has gone unused 122 days after the availability date of the issuance. new manual textThere is no "usage" check for Summer EBT benefits   A notice is sent 30 days prior to the benefits being expunged. Creates a file to match with ARS to determine if there is a claim. If an outstanding claim exists, the expunged benefit is applied against the Summer EBT claim.