PDFWAC 388-412-0025

How do I receive my benefits?

(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) that cannot be paid directly to a vendor; 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, 74.08.090, and 7 C.F.R. 274.2 (i)(3). WSR 22-15-048, § 388-412-0025, filed 7/15/22, effective 8/15/22. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.510, 74.08.090 and 7 C.F.R. 274.2(i). WSR 21-13-168, § 388-412-0025, filed 6/23/21, effective 8/1/21. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, and 74.08.090. WSR 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. WSR 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. WSR 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. WSR 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. WSR 03-22-038, § 388-412-0025, filed 10/28/03, effective 12/1/03. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.510 and 74.08.090. WSR 02-18-105, § 388-412-0025, filed 9/3/02, effective 10/4/02; WSR 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. WSR 98-16-044, § 388-412-0025, filed 7/31/98, effective 9/1/98.]