WAC 388-412-0025 How do I get my benefits?

1. We send your cash benefits to you by either:

   1. 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;

   2. Electronic funds transfer (EFT), which is a direct deposit into your own bank account;

   3. A warrant (check) to a payee who is not approved for direct deposit; or

   4. A warrant (check) to you if you get:

      1. Diversion Cash Assistance (DCA) that cannot be paid directly to a vendor;

      2. Additional Requirements for Emergent Needs (AREN) that cannot be paid directly to a vendor;

      3. Ongoing Additional Requirements (OAR) that cannot be paid directly to a vendor;

      4. Clothing and Personal Incidentals (CPI) payments; or

      5. State Supplemental Payment (SSP) and you do not receive your benefit through EFT.

2. We send your Basic Food benefits to you by EBT.

3. We set up an EBT account for the Head of Household of each AU that receives benefits by EBT.

4. 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.

5. You must use your cash and Basic Food benefits from your EBT account. We do not convert cash or Basic Food benefits to checks.

6. We deposit your Basic Food benefits into your EBT account by the tenth day of the month based on your Basic Food assistance unit number as described under WAC 388-412-0020.

7. Unused EBT benefits: If you do not use your EBT account for three hundred sixty-five days, we cancel the cash and Basic Food benefits on your account.
   1. Replacing Basic Food benefits:
      1. We can replace cancelled benefits we deposited less than 365 days from the date you ask for us to replace your benefits.

      2. We cannot replace cancelled benefits deposited 365 or more days from the date you ask us to replace your benefits.

   2. 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.
8. Replacing cash warrants: 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.

   1. If we issued the benefits as a warrant 160 or fewer days ago, your local office can replace the warrant.

   2. If we issued the benefits as a warrant more than 160 days ago, the Office of Accounting Services can replace the warrant.