B-340, Replacing Benefits

Revision 23-3; Effective July 1, 2023

TANF and SNAP

HHSC issues benefits by  warrant or EBT. Staff replace TANF warrants, TANF EBT benefits and SNAP EBT benefits only in certain situations.

Related Policy

Agency Replacements, B-341
One-Time Payment Replacements, B-342
Destroyed Food Replacements, B-344

B—341 Agency Replacements

Revision 23-3; Effective July 1, 2023

TANF and SNAP

HHSC designs the EBT systems  and issuance procedures to minimize loss and theft of SNAP and TANF household benefits. HHSC is required to issue agency replacement benefits only if the loss occurred:

  • after the household reports the Lone Star Card lost or stolen and HHSC or an HHSC contractor failed to cancel the household’s Lone Star Card;
  • because of an HHSC local office Lone Star Card issuance error; or
  • because of an unlawful or other erroneous action on the part of HHSC or an HHSC contractor.

Related Policy 

Documentation Requirements, B-390

B—341.1 Procedures for Issuing Agency Replacements 

Revision 23-3; Effective July 1, 2023

TANF and SNAP

If a person receiving EBT reports benefits stolen or lost from the household's EBT account, refer them to the Lone Star Help Desk. Help desk staff research the account credits and debits and work with HHS AES state office staff to determine if HHSC is liable for any loss of benefits that occurred. If state office staff determine a replacement is due because of unauthorized access or card issuance error, the replacement is authorized. 

If a loss occurs because of a card issuance error, staff contact the EBT regional coordinator who notifies the HHSC AES Lone Star Business Services (LSBS) mailbox.

Related Policy 

Balance Disputes, B-382.2
 

B—342 One-Time Payment Replacements 

Revision 23-3; Effective July 1, 2023

TANF

If a person reports a One-Time TANF or One-Time TANF for Relatives warrant (check) as lost, stolen or not received, check TIERS inquiry to see if the warrant was returned to Fiscal Management Services (FMS). The most common reason for non-receipt is a mismatched address. The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) will not forward TANF warrants. If necessary, update the person’s address in TIERS.

When the USPS returns the warrant to state office, FMS staff check inquiry for a new address and immediately re-mail the check, if there is a new address.

If the person does not receive the warrant by the 10th day after HHSC mailed it, request a replacement warrant by sending the appropriate form to FMS:

  • For One-Time TANF, send Form H1008-A, Warrant Inquiry/EBT Benefit Conversion and Affidavit for Non-Receipt of Warrant. If using Form H1008-A, write "OTTANF" across the top of the form.
  • For One-Time TANF for Relatives, send Form H1084, Certification for Warrants Lost, Destroyed, Stolen, or Not Received. 

Exception: Send the form immediately if it is obvious a warrant was stolen or destroyed. For Form H1008-A, indicate under "Comments" the reason for the special processing request.

Require the recipient to sign the Form H1008-A or H1084 in the correct space to attest to their statement that they did not receive the warrant and if they receive the first warrant, they will return it to HHS.

Staff may:

  • fax Form H1008-A or H1084 to FMS at 512-487-3400; or
  • send Form H1008-A or H1084 by email by scanning and emailing to the HHSC Warrant Issuance mailbox. 

Staff may call HHS Accounting Operations within FMS at 512-487-3435 to check on the status of the replacement request.

After receiving Form H1008-A or H1084, FMS:

  • complete TIERS inquiry to verify warrant information and status; and
  • obtain the warrant payment status from the Texas Comptroller.

B—342.1 Warrant Not Cashed

Revision 22-3; Effective July 1, 2022

TANF

If the USPS has not returned the warrant to FMS or the recipient has not cashed the warrant, FMS:

  • notifies the Texas Comptroller to cancel the warrant;
  • receives notification when the Texas Comptroller cancels the warrant; and
  • issues a replacement warrant. The word "Replacement" is printed in the upper right corner above the warrant number on the face of the warrant. TIERS inquiry identifies replacement warrants in Benefits Issuance under Issuance Status as “Issued” and Benefit Type as “Replacement."

If the person reports receipt of the original warrant after staff send the replacement request form, call FMS at 512-487-3435 to discontinue the inquiry and replacement process. Instruct the person not to cash the warrant until FMS notifies staff that they have discontinued the replacement process.

B—342.2 Warrant Cashed

Revision 22-3; Effective July 1, 2022

TANF

If someone cashed the warrant, FMS sends the staff person requesting the replacement:

  • a cover memo with instructions;
  • a copy of the warrant;
  • Form 6059-A, Determination of the Validity of a Forgery Claim; and
  • Form 6059-B, Affidavit of Forgery.

Staff:

  • investigate to determine if someone forged the recipient’s signature to endorse and cash the warrant; or
  • investigate if the recipient received any amount of money or benefit from the cashed warrant by perhaps conspiring with others; and
  • complete Form 6059-A to document the determination.
If staff determine the signature endorsing the warrant was ...then staff ...
forged,
  • complete Form 6059-B;
  • request that the recipient signs the form; and
  • return Forms 6059-A and B to FMS.
not forged,send only Form 6059-A to FMS.

If it is not a forgery and the recipient is the one who endorsed the warrant, the process stops. The recipient is not eligible for a replacement warrant.

If the signature is a forgery:

  • FMS sends the completed packet to the Texas Comptroller’s office for a final determination. 
  • The Texas Comptroller requests money back from the original cashing establishment.
  • The Texas Comptroller notifies FMS that the cashing establishment has returned payment. 
  • FMS issues a replacement warrant.

Note: The cashing establishment has up to nine months to investigate and return the payment to the Texas Comptroller.

For issues or further instructions and information, staff may contact HHS Accounting Operations within FMS by:

B—343 Reserved for Future Use

Revision 22-3; Effective July 1, 2022

B—344 Destroyed Food Replacements

Revision 23-4; Effective Oct. 1, 2023

SNAP

Replacements may be issued when food purchased with SNAP benefits was destroyed in a household disaster. To report that food has been destroyed in a household disaster, the HOH, a responsible household member or AR must go to an HHSC local office to complete a destroyed food replacement benefit request.

A household disaster may:

  • impact one or more households; and 
  • be an event that results in food purchased with SNAP benefits being destroyed, such as: fire, flood, tornado, accident, power outage or other similar event.

A household disaster does not include damage or destruction resulting from events within the household’s control, such as:

  • pets or children;
  • utility disconnection; or
  • deferred household maintenance.

When a household reports destroyed food, verify the disaster and issue destroyed food replacement benefits unless the household:

  • failed to report the loss within 10 days of discovering the destroyed food; or
  • received a disaster benefit issuance in the same month as the replacement request.

Issue replacement benefits for the household’s reported loss up to a maximum of the household’s last monthly allotment. If the household’s last monthly allotment included restored benefits, include the full value of the restored benefit with the replacement. Do not impose a limit on the number of destroyed food replacement requests.

Related Policy 

Prudent Person Principle, A-137
Questionable Information, C-920 

B—344.1 Procedures for Issuing Destroyed Food Replacements

Revision 23-3; Effective July 1, 2023

SNAP

To issue destroyed  food replacement benefits, take the following steps:

StepAction
1

Require the head of household, responsible household member or AR to go to an HHSC local office and complete Form H1855, Affidavit for Nonreceipt or Destroyed Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Benefits, to request replacement of destroyed food.

or

Mail Form H1855 to get the person’s signature if a responsible household member or AR cannot come to the HHSC office because of:

  • age;
  • disability;
  • distance to the HHSC office; or
  • inability to appoint an AR.

Issue a replacement only when HHSC receives the completed and signed Form H1855 within 10 days of the request for replacement.

2

Verify the disaster and date by:

  • contacting a collateral source; 
  • receiving documentation from a community agency, such as the fire department or Red Cross; or 
  • visiting the person’s home.
3Issue a replacement benefit via TIERS – Benefit Issuance – Request Manual Issuance.

Note: Authorized staff receive a request to approve the issuance.

Related Policy

Prudent Person Principle, A-137
Questionable Information, C-920