Mass WIC Benefits Now Delivered through EBT; Continued monitoring of SNAP EBT access issues

The Department of Public Health (DPH) has formally announced the WIC switch to the Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) system from the the more cumbersome food vouchers, This is a significant change for both WIC participants as well as retailers and should be an improvement in accessing benefits and reducing delays and stigma at the check out line. Here's the State House News Service article reported in MassLive: http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2014/10/massachusetts_switching_to_deb.html

 

By way of background, MA was one of eight states approved for a USDA pilot in FFY2011. DPH piloted the WIC card this summer and is making it fully operational this month. 

 

Here's an FAQ that DPH WIC program issued back in May: https://www.mass.gov/media/1188096/download  In addition to details on how the WIC Card will work, it is important to advise any WIC clients that a) they need NOT show any photo ID to use the card as the PIN is the identification confirmation; and b) all household members may use the WIC card to make approved food purchases. Same rules as SNAP EBT cards!

 

SNAP advocates should be on the look out for any situations where grocers and retailers engage in any discriminatory activities against SNAP or WIC EBT recipients (e.g. asking to inspect the EBT card if they do not ask for ID for other debit or credit customers) or refusing to accept an EBT card from a household member not named or pictured on the card. Here's our SNAP photo EBT resource page. 

We would also like to hear from Coalition Members about any local corner stores, bodegas that are no longer accepting EBT benefits at all. As noted in an earlier email, Congress has discontinued federal funding of the EBT point of sale (POS) equipment and transaction fees. We would like to know if this is effecting any corner markets, bodegas, convenience stores. Here is the July letter from Xerox to food retailers giving an Oct 24, 2014 deadline to switch to a third party processor and/or return the EBT equipment to Xerox by November 4th. If you hear of additional local stores dropping out of the EBT program, please ask the store owner why and let us know.