10 CCR 2506-1-4.701 - PROVIDING BENEFITS TO PARTICIPANTS

A. Local offices are responsible for the timely and accurate issuance of benefits to certified eligible households. All newly certified households, except those that are given expedited service, shall be given an opportunity to participate no later than thirty (30) calendar days following the date the application was filed. Day one (1) is the first calendar day after the application is received by a local office in the household's county of residence. An opportunity to participate consists of providing households with an active EBT card and Personal Identification Number (PIN), posting benefits to the household's EBT account, and having benefits available for spending. Local offices utilizing a mailing system must mail EBT cards and pins, if applicable, in time to assure that the benefits can be spent after they are received but before the thirty (30) day standard if the EBT card or pin is mailed on the twenty-ninth (29th) or thirtieth (30th) day. For households entitled to expedited service, the local office shall make benefits available to the household not later than the seventh (7th) calendar day following the date of application, and for mail card issuance, the EBT card shall be mailed no later than the end of the fifth (5TH) calendar day. Local offices that issue EBT cards by mail shall, at a minimum, use first-class mail and sturdy non-forwarding envelopes or packages to send EBT cards to households, and the EBT card and PIN must be mailed separately from one another.

B. Those households composed of persons who are: aged sixty (60) and older; or persons with a disability who have difficulty reaching issuance offices, as described in section 4.707, D; households which do not reside in a permanent dwelling or have a fixed mailing address; and those in remote, rural areas shall be given assistance in obtaining their EBT card. The local office shall assist these households by arranging for the mail issuance of EBT cards to them, by assisting them in finding authorized representatives who can act on their behalf, or by using other appropriate means.

C. The eligibility technician shall be sufficiently familiar with issuance operations to answer any questions the household may have about when, where, and how to access one's benefits from the EBT card.

4.701.2 EBT Cards

A. Certification units of local offices shall issue a Colorado Electronic Benefits Transfer System (CO/EBTS) debit card to each certified household. All cards shall be issued under the Social Security Number or client ID number of the household member or authorized representative who is authorized to receive the household's issuance as designated by the household.

B. The household, or the authorized representative, shall present the household's Colorado Electronic Benefits Transfer System (CO/EBTS) debit card at issuance points, retail outlets, or meal services in order to transact the allotment authorization or when exchanging benefits for eligible food.

C. The EBT card shall contain a space for the name and signature of the household member to whom the allotment is to be issued or for any authorized representatives designated by the household.

D. The local office shall limit issuance of EBT cards to the time of initial certification, with replacements made only in instances when the EBT card is lost, mutilated, destroyed, or if there are changes in the person authorized to obtain benefits, or when the local office determines that a new EBT card is needed. Whenever possible, the local office shall collect the EBT card that it is replacing. The issuance unit must be notified of a replacement EBT card to assure that only the most recently issued EBT card is used for benefit issuance.

E. EBT cards can be used in the following circumstances:

1. Eligible household members sixty (60) years of age or over or members who are housebound, physically handicapped, or otherwise a person with disabilities to the extent that they are unable to adequately prepare all their meals, and their spouses, may use benefits to purchase meals prepared for and delivered to them by a nonprofit meal delivery service authorized by USDA/FNS.

2. Eligible household members sixty (60) years of age or over and their spouses may use benefits issued to them to purchase meals prepared especially for them at communal dining facilities authorized by USDA/FNS for that purpose.

F. EBT cards shall be kept in secure storage with access limited to authorized personnel only.

Notes

10 CCR 2506-1-4.701

37 CR 15, August 10, 2014, effective 9/1/2014 37 CR 21, November 10,2014, effective 12/1/2014 38 CR 23, December 10, 2015, effective 1/1/2016 39 CR 01, January 10, 2016, effective 2/1/2016 39 CR 05, March 10, 2016, effective 4/1/2016 39 CR 07, April 10, 2016, effective 5/1/2016 39 CR 15, August 10, 2016, effective 9/1/2016 39 CR 17, September 10, 2016, effective 10/1/2016 39 CR 19, October 10, 2016, effective 11/1/2016 39 CR 23, December 10, 2016, effective 1/1/2017 40 CR 11, June 10, 2017, effective 7/1/2017 40 CR 17, September 10, 2017, effective 10/1/2017 41 CR 15, August 10, 2018, effective 9/1/2018 40 CR 23, December 10, 2017, effective 12/30/2018 42 CR 01, January 10, 2019, effective 2/1/2019 42 CR 03, February 10, 2019, effective 3/15/2019 42 CR 17, September 10, 2019, effective 10/1/2019 42 CR 18, October 10, 2019, effective 10/1/2019 42 CR 23, December 10, 2019, effective 12/30/2019 43 CR 01, January 10, 2020, effective 1/30/2020 43 CR 05, March 10, 2020, effective 2/7/2020 43 CR 07, April 10, 2020, effective 4/30/2020 43 CR 21, November 10, 2020, effective 11/30/2020 44 CR 21, November 10, 2021, effective 11/30/2021 45 CR 05, March 10, 2022, effective 3/30/2022 45 CR 19, October 10, 2022, effective 10/1/2022 45 CR 19, October 10, 2022, effective 11/1/2022 45 CR 21, November 10, 2022, effective 11/30/2022 46 CR 17, September 10, 2023, effective 9/30/2023