Do SNAP EBT Cards Expire?
Written by
Josephine Nesbit
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Nicholas Morine
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Whether or not your Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card has an expiration date depends on your state. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), states have the option of implementing expiration dates for SNAP EBT cards.
To find out if your SNAP EBT card has an expiration date, you can call your state’s EBT Customer Service number. You should be able to find the customer service number on the back of your card or your state program’s website.
The USDA also noted that any SNAP EBT card that has not been used at all for nine months will permanently lose any unused benefits.Â
However, SNAP benefits that are not used the same month they were issued will be automatically rolled over to the next month, even if you are no longer receiving benefits. This means that you will be able to use SNAP benefits on your EBT card until you deplete the benefits previously received within the nine-month timeframe. Households that use their benefits, but carry over a balance, won’t lose them after those nine months.
Forbes reported that before benefits are suspended, states are required to notify households no later than 30 days before the date that they will be removed.
Information about SNAP benefits varies by state, so it’s important that you check with your local SNAP agency for more information about your SNAP EBT card expiration date and how long you will have access to benefits if you don’t regularly use them.
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