More than 42 million Americans rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to help ensure they have enough food to eat.
These benefits, formerly known as food stamps, have been a crucial lifeline for countless families, especially during the challenging times brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
SNAP Benefit Expiration
The status of SNAP benefits largely depends on how actively recipients engage with their benefits. The good news is that unused benefits from one month automatically roll over to the next month. This rollover feature ensures that beneficiaries don’t lose any unused funds in the short term.
However, it’s important to understand that SNAP benefits do have an expiration date. In general, most SNAP benefits expire after nine months of complete inactivity on the Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card.
It’s important to clarify that benefits are only at risk of expiring if they remain unused for the entirety of this nine-month period. Households that consistently use their benefits but maintain a balance on their EBT card will not face the risk of losing their benefits.
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State Variations in Benefit Suspension Timeframes
States are obligated to send advance notice to households at least 30 days before removing their benefits due to inactivity. Keeping one’s mailing address updated with the state’s SNAP agency is crucial to ensure receipt of these notifications.
If an EBT card remains unused for three months, it will be temporarily taken offline, and access to the account will be suspended.
The specific inactivity period can vary by state, with some states suspending EBT cards after just six months of no activity. State SNAP agencies are required to send written notifications up to 10 days prior to suspending benefits, providing instructions on how to reinstate access.
In case an EBT card is lost or stolen, recipients should reach out to their state’s EBT customer service line immediately to request a replacement. However, it’s important to note that EBT cards do not offer guaranteed protections under federal law against loss or theft.
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