HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 01072003 - C121 . . Contra
TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
FROM: INTERNAL OPERATIONS COMMITTEE _ -
Costa
DATE: JANUARY 7, 2003 ''" ou nt
SUBJECT: FOOD STAMP ERROR RATE
SPECIFIC REQUEST{S}OR RECOMMENDATION{S}&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. ACCEPT attached status report from the Employment and Human Services Director
updating the Board of the statewide and county food stamp error problem, and
reviewing the Department's current and future efforts to lower the County's error rate.
2. RECOGNIZE the department's achievement of decreasing the cumulative error rate
by 14.5% over the ten-month period October 1, 2001 through July 2, 2002.
3. RECOGNIZE also that the department on December 1, 2002 implemented the
Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) system to electronically distribute food stamp and
cash benefits, that that in the first ten days more than half of the funds eligible for
distribution in December were distributed electronically.
4. ACKNOWLEDGE that efforts and improvement strategies to reduce the food stamp
error rate are being hampered by budget reductions that have impacted overall
staffing levels and specific staff assignments.
5. ACKNOWLEDGE that this situation warrants continuing oversight by the Board and
communication from the Employment and Human Services Director.
6. DIRECT the Employment and Human Services Director to continue his efforts to
reduced the error rate and work with the County Welfare Directors' Association to
seek from the federal government a waiver from quality control reviews during
California's transition to the EBT and the CalWIN systems.
7. DIRECT the Employment and Human Services Director to report back to the Internal
Operations Committee again in six months on the progress of its efforts to reduce the
County's error rate and on the experience with EBT.
CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: YES SIGNATURE:
------------------------------------_—----------------------------------------—--- ------ `--_-
RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR -,.,y,_-RtCOMMEND 1 N OF BOARD COMMITTEE
=APPROVE OTHER r
SIGNATURES}: f? fi ., —
MARK DeSAULNIER f`f _..« OAYLE B._UILK----..__--------_----------
ENfA
-----.._.--__---.--_-- -------------------- ------------------------------------
ACTION OF BOARD ON " 0,,j)uC;,QV PPROVE AS RECOMMENDED OTHER
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE
d j AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN
UNANIMOUS{ABSENT ! } AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE
ABSENT: ABSTAIN:
AYES: NOES: SHOWN.ATTESTE�/t0 f L�
CONTACT: JULIE ENEA(925)335-1077 JOHN SWEETEN, ERK OF HE BOAR15 OF
SUPERVISORS AN9 COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR
CC: INTERNAL OPERATIONS COMMITTEE STAFF It
EMPLOYMENT&HUMAN SERVICES DIRECTOR
COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR �3
BY DEPUTY
Food Stamp Error Elate January 7, 2003
Internal Operations Committee Page 2
BACKGROUND
On February 5, 2002, the Board of Supervisors received a letter from the State Department of
Health and Human Services appealing to the Board to make a strong commitment to
improving California's overall performance in administering the Food Stamp Program. The
letter indicates that Contra Costa County's error rate for 2001 is expected to be above the
federal tolerance level for Food Stamp Program errors. To affirm the Board's commitment to
improving overall performance, the Board, on May 21, directed the Internal Operations
Committee (IOC) to review the County's Food Stamp Program performance with the
Employment and Human Services Department, and oversee the preparation of the Corrective
Action Plan.
On June 17, the IOC received a report from the Employment and Human Services Director
explaining the statewide and county problem, and describing the department's immediate and
long-range plans and efforts to lower the County's error rate. In addition, the Employment
and Human Services Director clarified that the error rate was primarily related to worker
errors in determining eligibility, and not primarily attributable to worker or client fraud in either
eligibility determination or benefits issuance.
Due to our Committee's concern over how staffing reductions and EBT and CaIWVIN systems
changes might negatively affect the department's efforts to reduce the food stamp error rate,
the Board of Supervisors directed in June that this issue be kept on referral and that the
Employment and Human Services Director report back to the IOC in six months to provide an
update on the County's progress, and sooner if significant related issues'developed.
On December 16, our Committee received a follow-up report from the Employment and
Human Services Director indicating that the department is making positive progress to reduce
the food stamp error rate but that, as feared, budget and staffing reductions are hampering
these efforts. In response to the IOC's questions about how the Department's Quality
Assurance Program and Internal Security Program could be coordinated to improve the food
stamp error rate, the department also provided a comparison of the elements of each
program, and common activities and information that could be coordinated.
In addition, the department provided an update of the EBT program and indicated that in the
first ten days, 51% of food stamps and 76% of cash benefits eligible for distribution in
December were distributed electronically.
The IOC recommends that the Board of Supervisors accept the attached status report
prepared by the Employment and Human Services Director, and DIRECT that he report back
on these issues to the IOC in six months.
IOC Packet 12/16/02
9:05 a.m. Item
2002 INTERNAL OPERATIONS COMMITTEE
FOOD STAMP ERROR REDUCTION PLAN
On February 5, 2002, the Board of Supervisors received a letter from the State
Department of Health and Human Services appealing to the Board',to make a strong
commitment to improving California's overall performance in administering the Food
Stamp Program. The letter indicates that Contra Costa County's error rate for 2001 is
expected to be above the federal tolerance level for Food Stamp Program errors. To
affirm the Board's commitment to improving overall performance, the Board, on May 21,
directed the Internal Operations Committee to review the County's Food Stamp
Program performance with the Employment and Human Services Department, and
oversee the preparation of the Corrective Action Plan.
On June 17, 2002, the IOC received a report from the Employment and Human
Services Director explaining the statewide and county problem, and describing the
department's immediate and long-range plans to lower the County's error rate.
On June 25, 2002, the Board directed the Employment and Human Services Director to:
a continue working with the County Welfare Directors' Associationto seek from the
federal government a waiver from quality control reviews during California's
transition to the Electronic Benefits Transfers and the CaWIN systems; and to
♦ report back to the Internal Operations Committee in no later than six months on the
progress of its efforts to reduce the County's error rate and, sooner if significant
related issues develop.
December 1 fi. 2002
Attached is a report prepared by John Cullen, Employment and Human Services
Director, updating the IOC on the status of the food stamp error rate. The report details
the specific strategies implemented and actions taken to reduce the rate. Mr. Cullen
reports that the strategies are paying off, but that staff reductions necessitated by
budget cuts are hindering the department's efforts to improve the error rate.
The report also includes:
♦ a discussion of the interrelationships among the Food Stamp corrective action
strategies, the Department's Quality Assurance Program, and the Department's
Internal Security Program, including a side-by-side comparison between the food
stamp corrective action strategies and the Internal Security Program;
♦ an update of the statewide efforts to mitigate the federal food stamp sanction; and
♦ an EHSD newsletter announcing the availability of electronic benefits transfer (EBT)
for food stamps and/or cash benefits.
EMPLOYMENT AND HUMAN SERVICES
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY
DATE December 6, 2002
TO Supervisor Mark DeSaulnier
Supervisor Gayle B. Uilkema
Internal Operations Committee
FROM John Cullen, Director
SUBJECT I.O. Update - Food Stamp Error Rate
Attached please find our latest update on the Food Stamp Error Rate. We
have included some thoughts, as requested by the Internal Operations
Committee, on how the Internal Security program can be useful in detecting
eligibility determination errors, and conversely, how our Food Stamp
Corrective Action Program can help with Internal Security. Also, we have
provided some information on the status of efforts to gain relief from error
rate penalties. And finally, we've attached a copy of our latest Qnftt_-?nim
Knocking publication, which provides information on the launch of the
Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) service for Food Stamps and Cash
Assistance. I will be happy to present you an update at our December 16
meeting of the first two weeks of EBT operations.
We ask that the Internal Operations Committee accept the attached report in
follow-up to your September request.
FOOD STAMP ERROR RATE AND CORRECTIVE+ACTION UPDATE
As background from our Tune update, the United States Department of Agriculture
(USDA), Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has formally notified California regarding the
Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2001 .Food Stamp payment error rate results. California's
combined Food Stamp error rate of 17.37% exceeds the national tolerance level of 8.66%,
which subjects the State and all counties with excessive rates to a sanction liability of
$137,800,508. The USDA and the State of California negotiated a reduction of this liability
to $114,305,610.
Contra Costa is one of thirteen of the nineteen sampled counties with error rates above the
Federal tolerance level; the remaining 39 of California's counties are not part of the
Quality Control review program. Completed Quality Control sampling reviews for FFY
2001 have determined a dollar error rate of 13.99% in the Food Stamp program in Contra
Costa County. This error rate exceeds the Federal tolerance level by 5.33%. The
California Department of Social Services has notified Employment and Human Services
Department (EHSD) that our share of the sanction amount is approximately $899,000.
The status of this sanction is discussed in the final section of this report.
We have continued efforts to achieve a Food Stamp error rate that meets Federal
standards. As reported earlier, major corrective action initiatives that we've launched
over the past year include:
• Assigning a Division Manager and a Food Stamp Corrective Action Program
Analyst to oversee this departmentwide effort to reduce the error rate;
• Creation of a Food Stamp Quality Improvement Team comprised of managers,
analysts, supervisory staff and line workers to meet monthly to develop new
strategies to reduce the error rate;
• Creation of a Quality Control Error Citation Workgroup that meets monthly to
review formally identified case errors to attempt to rebut errors, identify causal
factors, develop procedures to avoid future errors and to brainstorm, creative
methods to reduce the error rate;
• Convene monthly meetings with senior management staff, including the
department Director, and the Corrective Action .Division Manager and
Coordinator, and other key staff to give overall policy direction and to ensure
that the necessary resources are made readily available to corrective action
efforts;
• Development and implementation of a new, comprehensive 15-module Food
Stamp Training Program for eligibility staff. 'Training session topics have been
carefully designed to focus on those program areas we have identified as
contributing to our error rate, including determination of income, income and
shelter deductions, determination of household composition, non-citizen
H:\Sessler\Food Stamps\FS Error Rate to 10 Comm 12-42.doc 2
eligibility, resource determination and work registration requirements;
• Implementation of short term, "get-the-errors-down" strategies including
Operation dean Sweep (a 100% case review), Hot Topics Focused Reviews,
Hot Tip policy clarifications for staff, and the issuance of systems ad hoc
reports identifying potential errors for staff to review and correct;
Implementation of longer term, "improve-the-ongoing-accuracy" strategies
including an ongoing process of supervisory case reviews, a review of a
sampling of these cases to validate the results, providing ,local error rates to
each worker, unit and manager, ongoing training for line staff, separate training
for supervisors, development of computer-based Food Stamp training, pre-test
and post-test training features, creation of Food Stamp policy desk guides, and
a redesign and revision of the Food Stamp Policy handbook.
These efforts have started to result in the desired impact. During the 2002 Federal Fiscal
Year, we've received Quality Control reviews for October 01 through July 02. (Jur
cumulative error rate for these ten months is 11.96%v, a 14.5% reduction over our FF01
year end. Most promising is that our July monthly rate had gone down to 8.68%.
Unfortunately, recent budgetary cutbacks and staff reductions in the Employment and
Human Services Department are complicating our efforts to reduce 'errors in the Food
Stamp program.. Due to RIFs, staff have bumped and been reassigned to new programs
resulting in inexperienced staff being assigned to Food Stamp cases. The Quality
Assurance and Special Projects Units, whose staff served as the core of our "Clean
Sweep„ staff in the spring, have been disbanded. The recent focus on layoff and
displacement issues has interfered with our earlier sharp focus on Food Stamp corrective
action activities. It is reasonable to assume that the earlier improvement in our Food
Stamp error rate will be reversed by the staffing changes and disruptions resulting from
our recent budgetary cutbacks.
We are currently in the process of trying to identify local funds to mitigate the negative
impact of recent staff reductions on our Food Stamp corrective action efforts. If we are
successful in allocating additional local dollars, we would like to fund a number of new
strategies to counter the negative impact of having newly assigned staff and rising
caseloads in the Food Stamp program. Without the investment of additional resources
into an enhanced Food Stamp Corrective Action Program, we fear that we will not be
successful in lowering the error rate below the Federal sanction level, thus compounding
the possibility of further fiscal sanctions.
In light of this we have pulled together a group with various expertise from throughout
the agency to identify any other strategies to improve accuracy within the areas of worker
and management accountability; standard operating protocols; organizational structure;
training; supervision/management controls; and culture change. The group is currently
preparing recommendations and action plans.
H:\Sess1er\Food Stamps\FS Error Rate to 10 Conn 12-02.doc 3
I recently met with the County Administrator to review this situation and develop a
strategy for reinvesting any unanticipated FHSD revenue this fiscal year with our Food
Stamp Corrective Action Program. We remain committed to lowering our error rate; and
will soon be submitting Board Action requests to implement a number of new measures.
H:\Sessler\Food Stanms\FS Error Rate to 10 Comm 12-02.doc 4
FOOD STAMP CORRECTIVE ACTION
AND. INTERNAL SECURITY INTF,ItMAY
There is consensus among many county welfare agencies that the Food Stamp Error Rate
can be lowered by implementing a :Food Stamp Corrective .Action Madel that includes a
series of "Second Party Reviews" centered on raising the level of scrutiny over welfare
cases, and holding caseworkers and their supervisors (and entire organizations) more
accountable for following policies and procedures. Program and division managers are
considered instrumental to the success of this effort. Their role includes enforcing
requirements that unit supervisors complete a minimum number of standardized case
reviews, each month, assessing the quality of work performed at the line level. Under this
model, managers ensure that results are also reported to a corrective action team that
skillfully and objectively analyzes the organizational and programmatic causes for errors,
and devises corrective actions with far reaching impact throughout the Department.
EHSD utilizes bath supervisory and off-line case reviews.
Another component of this Food Stamp Corrective Action Model calls for a centralized
Quality Assurance (QA) Team. This is necessary because of the very high number of
food stamp cases and complexity of eligibility rules. Such a team of program experts is
able to focus on performing a much larger number of comprehensive, strategic reviews to
augment and complement the supervisory case reviews. Together, the QA team and
supervisors (with the corrective action group) could have the greatest impact on the Food
Stamp Error Rate by employing a broad, comprehensive process that identifies errors,
compiles trend analysis, and develops and enforces corrective action strategies. These
functions working together on the same goal would be most able to review the necessary
large number of paper case files on a continual basis and affect pronounced changes. In
2002, E ISD disbanded the QA team due to budget concerns.
Internal Security, in contrast, is a specialized audit function reviewing thousands of
computerized case transactions per month to detect potential internal frauds and
embezzlements rather than food stamp eligibility determination errors. The Department's
and County's high level of risk and exposure to employee fraudsinvolving benefit
issuance is a condition formally identified and reported by the Auditor's Office in 1996.
This control environment has necessitated that EHSD's Internal Security Unit-comprised
of an accountant and an accounting technician-continues to monitor'a high volume of
payment activity that caseworkers enter on computer, and to seek implementation of
preventive controls. Internal Security monitors case transactions, but in the context of
possible employee fraud, with emphasis on confirming the validity of payee information
and payee-related transactions posted on-line by hundreds of caseworkers onto the
computerized case system. To review for eligibility errors, as those comprising the Food
Stamp Error late, requires not an Internal Security focus but a large scale, in depth
review of paper case files for proper application of program rules and analysis of client
income, budgets, and verifications by program experts, not auditors.
H_\Sessler\Food Stamps\FS Error Rate to 10 Comm 12-02.doc
However, there is some overlap or information sharing that is passible between the
Internal Security and Food Stamp Corrective Action efforts. In the course of reviewing
computer transactions for possible fraud, Internal Security may observe apparent,
program non-compliance and make referrals to operational managers and policy analysts
for follow-up action. Internal Security also advises the Department on ways to increase
requirements for supervisory pre-approval of transactions. Pre-approval controls more
efficiently prevent fraud from even occurring, and could also influence the error rates.
Additionally, Internal Security could provide the corrective action team with added
perspective on organizational issues and effectiveness of strategies employed.
Conversely, the Food Stamp Corrective Action process, may observepotential employee
fraud and should make a referral to our Internal Security staff for audit investigations.
We have completed a side-by-side (Attachment 1) of the components'of our .Food Stamp
Corrective Action Programs — Second Party Review process and our Internal Security
Plan, We have also developed a schematic (Attachment 2) that attempts to display the
discreet functions within both processes, while identifying the areas for information
exchange.
H:\Sessler\Food Stamps\FS Error Rate to 10 Comm 12-02.doc
FOOD STAMP SANCEON MITIGATIJ)N
Staff of sanctioned counties have been meeting regularly with the State of California
officials to strategize on means to mitigate the Federal Food Stamp sanction. The Food &
Nutrition Service (FNS) notified California that it plans to sanction the State for 2000 FFY
in the amount of $10.4 million, 2001 FFY $114.3 .million; and 2002 '(expected) of $42.9
million. Under California law, the State can pass on 90% of any sanction to the counties.
Fallowing some very hostile communications between California and the federal
government, a series of meetings have been held to workout a solution. Three scenarios
have developed. First: CDSS's legal staff are preparing an appeal, which will exhaust the
administrative process for reviewing and hopefully mitigating the proposed sanction.
This appeal should be filed in January or February 2003 and heard within sixty (60) days.
Secondly: a negotiated settlement is being discussed. We have met with CDSS' Director
and FNS Regional Director, USDA Undersecretary and Assembly Member Aroner and
Senator Costa to discuss options. The basic deal involves the 'State paying (and
sometimes passing onto counties) some small upfront penalty this fiscal year and some
for the next two; the majority of the sanction amounts being "reinvested" by the State and
counties into Food Stamp Corrective Action/ error reduction; and some amount held "at-
risk-of-payment" to Feds should error rates not improve in future yearn. The State is now
working with counties to define the proposal in a manner that is considerate of our
financial situation. And, finally: a "legal action" scenario is being explored should
scenarios one and two not work out.
Our County is well represented in these mitigation efforts. Bob Sessler, Aging & Adult
Services Director and our Corrective Action Manager, Pam Phillips, have participated in
monthly meetings with State and Federal staff. I have participated with the elected
officials and USDA Undersecretary. Most recently, our County Counsel's office is
discussing possible legal actions with the other impacted counties.
In the meantime, our State association, County Welfare Directors Association (CWDA)
of California, working with L.A. County Lobbyist and National Association of Counties
(NACo) staff, were successful in changing food stamp error rate language in the new
Farm Bill, which will greatly mitigate the risk of sanctions starting in 2004. Our County
and State Associations also won changes in California law this session which will reduce
complexity in the food stamp program starting in 03/04 , resulting in fewer errors.
Locally, we are also reexamining our overall ability to meet Food Stamp programmatic
requirements and Federal accuracy expectations, in light of the currentand future year's
budget crisis. The results of this assessment will be shared with the CACI and Board when
completed.
H:\Sess!er\Food Stamps\FS Error Rate to 10 Comm 12-02.doc 7
ATTACHMENT I
Components of F'S Corrective Action
Second Party Review Components of internal',Security Plan
GOAL: Maintain low eligibility error rate GOAL: improve internal security by lower-
for food stamp cases ing risk and exposure to employee fraud
SHARED GOAL: Higher scrutiny over SHARED GOAL: Higher scrutiny over
welfare cases. Hold staff more accountable welfare cases. Hold staff more accountable
for following procedures and policies for following procedures and policies.
Quality Assurance Team internal Security Team
• Conducts independent full scope and tar- • Recommends specific operational and
geted case reviews for proper application by computer system controls to more effi-
staff of welfare eligibility determination ciently prevent employee frauds.
rules and related Department procedures. • Maintains and enforces (along with Info
• Reports review findings. 'Technology 'Team) specific standards for
• Reviews checklist of some key Internal Se- employees' CDS/GIS computer access to
curity related items when reviewing cases, welfare cases. Ensures that access is based
and if exceptions observed, makes referral on staff's official job functions.
to Internal Security. • Receives tips and referrals from sources:
• May receive referrals from Internal Secu- Second Party Reviewers (QA, QC or Unit
city when latter observes non-compliance Supervisors) and others.
with eligibility determination/policy rules. • Conducts independent investigations of
potential employee fraud.
Quality Control Team • Makes referrals to District,Attorney if war-
• Conducts independent case reviews based ranted and substantiated.
on Federal/State criteria and sampling, • Develops and uses a large number of moni-
• Reports findings. taring reports and database matches to de-
tect potential fraud by employees entering
Unit Supervisors case transactions on-line CICS/GIS.
• Perform monthly cases reviews of sample • Reviews thousands of case, transactions per
of cases per worker. month to detect fraud.
• Case reviews fallow standardized format. • In the course of reviewing for fraud., may
• Minimum number of cases each month. observe incidents of program non-
Report results to management and Correc- compliance, and if so, refers this informa-
tive Action Team. tion to QA and Corrective Action Teams.
• Fallow-up with employee by coaching, • Advises and promotes need for Personnel
training and performance evaluation feed- Team to upgrade policies to require finger-
back. printing clearances for all employee classi-
• Review workers' CDS/CIS reports detail- fications, and require review for prior his-
ing case transactions and workers' handling tory of welfare fraud for 100% of new hires.
of case activities to detect and address dis- • Shares mutual goal with Second Party Re-
crepancies. viewers (QA, QC, and Unit;Supervisors) of
• Require pre-approval of some transactions, increasing the level of scrutiny of welfare
• Implements any recommended corrective cases in order to hold staff more account-
actions. able for following procedures and policies.,
Corrective Action Team
• Receives results of Second Party Reviews
by QA, QC and Supervisors.
• Analyzes results, problems and causes.
• Proposes specific corrective action goals
and strategies to management.
• Sample corrective actions may include:
added training, procedural enhancements,
addressing of individual performance, and
organizational changes.
Managers and Supervisors
• Analyze results of Second Party Reviews
and provide feedback to Corrective Action
Team.
• Hold staff accountable for following pro-
cedures and accurate casework, for making
case correctives timely.
• Implements any recommended corrective
actions.
Staff Development
• Analyzes results of Second Party Reviews
and provides feedback to Corrective Action
Team.
• Implements any recommended corrective
actions.
Policy Analysts
• Evaluate Second Party Review results and
Corrective Action Recommendations.
• Issues guidelines, based on corrective ac-
tion recommendations.
Second Party Reviewers in general (QA, QC
or Unit Supervisors)
• May observe apparent employee fraud, and
if so, will make referral to Internal Security
for separate internal investigation.
• Shares mutual goal with Internal Security
of increasing the level of scrutiny of welfare
cases in order to hold staff more account-
able for following procedures andolicies.
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,' OPPOR UNITY :
KNO CKING
A Newsletter from the Contra Costa County Employment & Human Services Department
SPECIAL EDITION DECEMBER 2002
t _
...and your
Golden State
r7
Advantage
Card
VERY IMPORTANT NOTICE
about your cash aid
and food stamps �` � N
Starting December I, 2002 Electronic Benefit Transfer
EBT, is the new way you will receive your food stamps
chi e r�xx ��� , , � `l 40
and/or cash (CalWORKs, GA, Refugee)benefits. Instead of
sending food stamps and checks in the mail, your bene
fits will be put into a special EBT account for you. You
will be given a plastic EBT card and personal identifica- y 4 � 6,01
tion number(PIN). It is similar to an ATM card. Now to
buy food or other items, you will use your EBT card." �,
California's EBT card is also called the Golden State
tz
Advantage Card. A-1,-4-0
By now, you should have received your Golden Stated
find WA
not received them, please contact your worker immedi- t$ k
ately to nd out how to get a replacement card and/or �� � t .w
Advantage (EBT) Card and PIN in the mail. If you haveit
PIN number. DO NOT WAIT. ftory�
You must have your Golden State Advantage (EBT) car ` � �
dOt
and a PIN number to get your December 2002 cash ba,xt
and/or food stamp benefits.
p � ti
tt vim :.
• Purchases. Make purchases directly with your EBT
Save mon ..�.. Card at participating stores without using cash.
• Purchases with cash-back. Get cash back when you
Know the
fmake a purchase with your cash EBT Card, instead of
using ATMs.
• Buy a money order with your EBT Card to pay
By knowing the facts about your Golden State Advantage Your bills. Many stores sell money orders. Money
Card, or EBT (Electronic Benefit Transfer) Card, you can orders are safe and inexpensive,'but there is a small
get ALL of your Cash Benefits each month and pay NO fee to buy a money order,
surcharges or transaction fees! FACT 4
■■ r • • w • • • rrrrrrrrsr • rrrrr
FAC ■
T The EBT Customer Service Center can help:
r • • • srrrsrr • • ssr • rrrrrs Call toll free (877) 328-9677 to find out:
You can get your Cash Benefits with your EBT Card r Your account balance. It will cost you 25-cents to check
from: your account balance at an ATM.
• ATMs (Automatic Teller Machines) • How many cash-only withdrawals you have made this
• Stores month.
• Cash-back with purchase from stores
OR you can: FAST 5
* I'urchasegoods directly rr • • r • r • r • rr • r • • rs • • r • r
• Purchase Money Orders We can help. Ask tis for a list of ATMs and stores where
Knowing which stores or ATMs are best, allows you to get you can get your cash benefits. This list will give you:
and use your monthly Cash Benefits at little or NO cost. ATMs
• The name and address of ATMs.
FACT • If there is a surcharge, and how much the cost to you
srrr • • rr • rrrrr • : srrrsr • will be at each ATM.
If a store or ATM charges you a "surcharge" for • How much money you can get at one time from the
using your EBT card, the fee must be posted. Learn ATM.
which stores and ATMs do NOT charge a fee to give you STORES
cash. • The name and address of stores that will accept
your EBT Card.
FACT 3r • . • rr . • • r • • • • • • • rr • • r • • How much cash you can get at one time from
There are two types of fees you may find when the store,
using your EBT Card: Surcharges and Transaction
• If you have to make a purchase at a store to get
cash back.
Fees. You can avoid these if you know how. If the store sells money orders.
Surcharges. Some ATM owners charge an extra �r ■
„Surcharge" for using their ATMs, usually between $1 FACT 6
• rrrrs • r • • sr • r • rr • rrrr •
and$2. Some ATMs DO NOT charge you. We have a list
of NO Surcharge .ATMs in your county. Ask us for it. Find out where in your community your EBT Card
Transaction Fees. Each month you can make four(4) is accepted.
cash-only withdrawals from your EBT account without ATMs
paying a Transaction Fee. After four(4)cash-only • Get cash at ATMs that don't have a Surcharge Fee.
four Make 4
withdrawals in one month, you will be charged an • ( ) or less withdrawals from ATMs each
850 Ransaction Fee for each additional cash-only withdrawal month to avoid a Transaction Fee.
you make from an ATM. STORES
Remember, there are many ways to get your cash benefits • Know which stores will allow cash-only withdrawals
with your EBT card, and if you know the facts, you can without a purchase.
avoid Transaction. Fees. • Know which stores provide cash-back with a purchase.
(If you make a purchase and get cash back, it does
To avoid Transaction Fees DON'T go to an ATM more NOT count as one of your four cash-only withdrawals.)
than four times a month! Don't make small withdrawals • Know which stores sell money orders,
at an ATM. All ATMs can give you at least$200 at one
time; many can give you $500 or more at one time.
OR: Receive Direct Deposit of Cash Benefits to your
There are IVO transaction Fees if you use your EBT Card Bank Account. With your own bank account, you can
at a Store Point of Sale (POS): get your benefits by"direct deposit" instead of through
• Cash-only withdrawals. If you only need a small EBT. Ask us how to sign up for direct deposit.
amount of cash, you can get it at most supermarkets
for free. Usually you don't even need to make a
purchase.
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What to do if your EBT card doesn't work
FOR FOOD STAMP BENEFITS 5. Some stores will only give cash back if you buy
1. Are your Food Stamp benefits available? Look at the something. On the County's list of stores, if you see
number on your card BELOW your name. This is your "PCB"by the name of the store, it means that they will
case number. The last digit is the day that your bene- only let you get cash back if you make a purchase.
fits are available. If it's a 1, your Food Stamp benefits 6. Did you enter your PIN number correctly?If you
are available on the first day of the month; if it's a 2, have forgotten your PIN number, you can call the
your benefits are available on the second day of the Customer Service phone number to change it. Don't
month; and so on. If it's a zero (0), your benefits are try to guess more than 3 times. It will lock up.
available on the tenth day of the month. 7. Do you have enough benefits in your Cash account?
2. Does the store take the EBT card? Does the store have You can find out your available balance by calling the
a QUEST sign in the window like the one on the back Customer Service phone number(877) 328-9677.
of your card? Did it previously accept your Food Stamp
coupons?Most stores that accepted Food Stamps will IF IT STILL DOESN'T WORK
also take the EBT card. But not ALL stores take EBT. 1. Call the Customer Service phone number. When you
Look for the QUEST sign or ask someone. enter your card number, the Automated Response Unit
3. Did you enter your PIN number correctly? If you (ARU) will tell you if there is a problem with the card.
have forgotten your PIN number, you can call the The card number is the 16 digit number ABOVE your
Customer Service phone number toll free at name.
(877) 328-9677 to change it. 2. If the ARU tells you that there is a problem., call your
4. Do you have enough benefits in your Food Stamp case worker. The County staff can help you.
account to pay for the items?You can find your avail-
able benefits by looking at the balance printed on your
last EBT receipt or by calling the Customer Service
phone number(877) 328-9677.
MPO ( �
FOR CASH BENEFITS
1. Are your Cash benefits available?Look at the numberftot use.il If A
on your card BELOW your name. This is your case ._.
number. The last digit will tell you the day that your � ca,sy fcr isrrrrt tac 1 �e uI
benefits are available. If it's a 1 2, or 3, then your ben- na 6s�'fa y y
efits are available on the first day of the month; if it's aepicI
4, 5, 6, or 7, then your benefits are available on the �t � �_ k
second day of the month; if it's an 8, 9, or zero (0),
your benefits are available on the third day of the ,Thj Cu_ r c firs b 3
month. {�328k9677.>It is sl�n:arr e_t+ ck
2. Does the ATM accept the EBT card?Does it have a ' r
QUEST sign on it like the one on the back of your ur3 Me
rll
pst
card?Not all ATMs take EBT. DO NOT GO TO A p
TELLER INSIDE THE BANK TO GET YOUR MONEY! s' -
They cannot give you your money. Your benefits aref�sriks
only available at the ATM or at a store through a Point �� �
of Sale (POS) machine. If you need to know which at►d #1 bau tc a r�tardf4
J (f€
ATMs take the EBT card, call your worker or drop byaCrrN �5ayt0,
our office to see a list. ' asarter� .
3. Did you push the CHECKING button on the ATM?
You must use the CHECKING button. DO NOT PUSH
4 :{# u air still sere how, zh�
0 Via'
CREDIT CARD! The EBT card is not a credit card. wit X�" � c�k
Also, if the ATM offers a "Fast Cash Back" option this rot re yattt"� r tai
is not for EBT and will not work. Use only the calve o yba
CHECKING button. 7 h�brechtr ltd axe avlw�Ita�Jai
4. Did you ask for more money than the ATM can give
out at one time?ATMs can only give out a certain
number of bills at one time. But the machines are 'Your _114� Wr c
different so we can't tell you how much you can get at "-rte t ett i e+ p`all yi-orl
any one time. Also remember, there is no EBT limit on
how much you can get in a day. You can use your cardofit ft� ° �" _
more than once. _41u tMMI+ Tlrlrl � li
your:ocl yard:anrJ ill +alt Ftp:
Cttsxar er Sery to Noll �
4
�� 'd, i EW no
funs iona
�l C l E E "A I I P UC3I DA podemos decir el.mantd'qu�puede retirar sada vez,
t tt xzila es sus neflPiOvaxu recibir Recuerde que no bad lura Cts en el nionto que pu«de
Espies parioxirl Fijese en el n4mero tie retirar en un dia con su _ Puede util% ar su
su tetaa i "BAJOtde su-rs�rrrbr . Este es el riimero tarjeta mks tle urea .
d s cast: EI �nno ii;to es el dia en el que s118. . Algo Ras tiers+ as le darax� diner solo si comps
on, estaxi disponi ek, o hu ero es 1, algti, usted v ' l do del_nombre do la'.
t � xd sponibies"el 1 del ass;
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY ELECTRONIC BENEFIT TRANSFER (EBT)
Schedule of Client The schedule you received before was not complete. If you
want to come in to see the EBT video and practice with a
point of sale (PUS) device (the machine in the store that you
TRAINING swipe your card through),you can choose any place and time
Sessions listed below. You do not need to make an appointment.
DATE PLACE SESSION TIMES
THURSDAY ANTIOCH MORNING
November 14,2002 4549 Delta Fair Blvd. 8:30,9:30, 10:30, 11:30
AFTERNOON/EVENING
1:30,2:30, 3:30,5:00,6:00
ANTCt°i
OR�1C
11r l3td 4.3C,9: Q 13tl1 3 '
MONDAY RICHMOND MORNING
November 18,2002 1305 MacDonald Ave. 8:30,9:30, 10:30, 11:30
AFTERNOON/EVENING
1:30,2:30, 3:30,5:00,6:00
13 t3,0
05,
>_
r F IER �N VE I I td
L
WEDNESDAY MARTINEZ MORNING
November 20,2002 40 Douglas Drive. 8:30,9:30, 10:30, 11:30
AFTERNOON/EVENING
1:30,2:30, 3:30,5:00,6:00
#M� (�l�N
D�°�Ye
AF
IEV
T O 11�4O
FRIDAY MARTINEZ MORNING
November 22,2002 40 Douglas Drive. 8:30,9:30, 10:30, 11:30
AFTERNOON/EVENING
1:30,2:30, 3:30,5:00,6:00
6
•
Questions Pre untas
about E BT sobre E BT
or your o Su
Golden State Advantage Card? Tarjeta Golden State Advantage
The EBT Customer Service Center can help: EI Centro de Servicios al'Cliente puede ayudarle
Call (877) 328-9677 Llame al (877) 328-9677
PRSR7
Contra Costa County Standard
Employment Eir, Human Services U.S.Postage
PAID
40 Douglas Drive • Martinez, CA 94553 Permit#89
wwwehsd.org San Ramon,CA
TRANS ER NC �L C"I` ►h11 �4' DE BSN ERCIPS { T :DEL,
orar1d a lE'.�►IOItM s � El hoON DO
ria que redbid antes no estaba eemplst�. 5i desea
ver et video sabre 14 tarleta; EST,y practicar,can un aparato
� �NA E N, T de punto de vents(Pm) �rn�quina por la cull listedp asa su
' tarJeta),puede esca sr cuafqulor s1tla h rarla ndicadt en
+ et el cuadra si ' lents.'Na nbcesita soiicltar u
na entrevista
Ii:Cl-iA LUGA R NC1'RAR10D1E SE ICi'N ES
JUE'V5S1 ANTIOCH MAI`lANAS
Noviembre 14,2002 4549 Delta Fair Blvd. 8:30,9:30, 10:30, 11:30
TARDES/NOCHES
4:30,2:30, 3:30,5:00,6.00
VIERNES ANTIOCH MANANAS
Noviembre 15,2002 4549 Delta Fair Blvd. 8:30,9:30, 10:30, 11:30
TRARDES/NOCHES
1:30,2:30, 3:30,5:00,6:00
LUN'ESR1CWM ?ND MANANAS
Noviembre 18,2102 1305 MacDonald Ave. 8:30,9:30, 11,10:30, 11:30
TARDES/NOCHES
1:30,230 3:30, -00,6.-00
MARTES RICHMOND MANANAS
Noviembre 19,2002 1305 MacDonald Ave. 8:30,9:30, 10:30, 11:30
TARDES/NOCHES
1:30,2:30, 3:30, 5:00,6:00
MItRCOLES MARTINEZ~ MANANAS
Noviembre;20,2002 40 Douglas Drive. 8:30,9:30, 10:30, 11:30
TARDES/NOCHES
1:30,2:305 3.30,5:O0,16:00
MANANAS
JUEVES HERCULES 8:30,9:30, 10:30, 11:30
Noviembre 21,2002 151 Linus Pauling Drive. TARDES/NOCHES
! 1:30,2:30, 3:30, 5:00,6:00
VIERNES MARTINEZ MANANAS
Nc►viernbre 22,1002 40'Dcrugtas Drive. 8:30,9130,
10:30, 11:30
TARDES/NOCHES
1:30,1:30$ 3:30,5,00,6:00'
7