B-250, EBT Benefit Issuance

Revision 05-4; Effective August 1, 2005

TANF and SNAP

HHSC credits benefits to the cash or food account by sending a benefit record to the EBT system. This section describes the availability of those benefits for use by the cardholder. 

B—251 Monthly Benefit Issuance Schedule

Revision 23-4; Effective Oct. 1, 2023

TANF and SNAP

HHSC sends the files of benefit records for monthly issuances to the EBT system after cutoff each month.

TANF

TANF monthly benefits issued via EBT are available on a staggered basis over the first three days of the month, based on the last number in the EDG number.

Table: Monthly TANF Benefit Issuance Date

SNAP

Based on the last two digits of the EDG number, households receive their monthly benefits on a staggered basis from the 1st through the 28th day of the month. 

If the household’s benefits are pro-rated at application, the pro-rated benefit amount and the following monthly allotment may be issued as one deposit into the household’s EBT account.

Note: SNAP benefits cannot be issued more than 40 days after the previous issuance. Households with applications certified more than 40 days before their scheduled monthly benefit issuance date have an initial issuance adjustment period until their benefits align with their scheduled monthly benefit issuance date.

SNAP households certified before May 1, 2023, keep their existing issuance schedule based on the date benefits were initially certified, unless there is a break in benefits of at least six months and the household reapplies after May 1, 2023.

Table: Monthly SNAP Benefit Issuance Date

B—252 Benefit Issuance on Applications

Revision 21-4; Effective October 1, 2021

TANF and SNAP

Staff provide benefits according to timeliness standards. Benefit issuances for certified applications are available immediately upon being credited to the account. Benefits requested after cutoff for the next month are available on the first day of the next month, except for SNAP-combined allotments.

SNAP

Staff may issue EBT SNAP benefits very quickly in situations that meet the HHSC criteria for a priority issuance. Request priority issuances only for SNAP benefits in three situations:

• expedited applications;
• regular applications certified on or after the 25th day; and
• benefits ordered by a hearing officer decision that requires a priority issuance to meet timeliness requirements.

The system credits benefits to the person's account in about an hour.

Related Policy

Deadlines, B-112  

B—253 Methods for Sending Benefit Records

Revision 21-4; Effective October 1, 2021

TANF and SNAP

A benefit record may be sent two ways to the EBT system. TANF benefit records are sent only from TIERS. SNAP benefit records are normally sent only from TIERS, but priority issuances may also be sent by manual EBT system entry.

Entries are sent to TIERS through:

• Real time interface – credits the account right away; or
• Overnight batch file – credits the account by the next day.

Note: Manual EBT system entry must have supervisor approval.

When interview staff certify an application, the EBT system credits:

• SNAP priority issuances to the individual's account within one hour after EDG disposition; and
• TANF benefits and SNAP benefits that are not priority issuances to the individual's account by 8 a.m. CST (Central Standard Time) the day after the EDG is disposed. 

B—254 Benefit Issuance When TIERS Is Unavailable

Revision 21-4; Effective October 1, 2021

TANF and SNAP

Two types of “TIERS unavailable” cases are:

• TIERS Down – TIERS is completely unavailable and the application or case cannot be accessed.
• TIERS Read-Only – TIERS is in read-only mode and workers cannot make changes to the EBT LUW for benefit issuance.

When TIERS is Down or is Read-Only, staff must:

• perform the interview;
• manually complete essential information on appropriate handbook forms;
• provide the client with manual notice;
• enter information into TIERS  once it becomes available; and
• issue benefits or deny the case based on the household’s eligibility. 

B—255 Priority Issuances Using the EBT System

Revision 23-3; Effective July 1, 2023

SNAP

To send the primary cardholder’s (PCH’s) benefit record by the EBT system data entry process for priority issuances if TIERS is down or read-only, interview staff must:

• obtain the person's signature on Form H1855, Affidavit for Nonreceipt or Destroyed Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program(SNAP) Benefits;
• complete Form H1172, EBT Card, PIN and Data Entry Request, to provide issuance staff the PCH’s information for manual EBT system data entry; 
• receive approval from the supervisor and the EBT regional coordinator to request manual EBT system benefit issuance; and 
• notify issuance staff to complete the manual EBT system benefit issuance.

EBT regional coordinators must reconcile EBT system benefit record entries. 

B—256 Discrepancies on Benefit Records Sent via the EBT System

Revision 21-4; Effective October 1, 2021

SNAP

When there is a discrepancy between the benefit records in TIERS and the EBT system, staff use the following chart to determine how actions are processed in TIERS and the EBT system:

Related Policy

TF-07E-01, EBT Reconciliation Exception, B-262.5