Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card with a residual balance 103-04040070

The system will automatically check the balance of EBT cards on the 21st day following activation.

For cards with a balance of more than $20, a Manual Follow-up (MFU) will be created.

For cards with a balance of less than $20, the card will cancel and for customers who are:

• CURrent, the balance will be automatically reissued to the customer's default payment destination
• no longer CURrent, a MFU is created to prompt reissue of the card balance

Note: the system will regularly check for cards with a balance of less than $20 from the time of issue, rather than wait until the 21st day from the issue of the card.

Cards with a balance of $0 will be automatically cancelled.

To reduce the occurrence of an EBT card being left with a residual balance, the customer must be given a 'How to use your Electronic Benefits Transfer card' brochure (13240) when they are issued the card, and be advised of the following:

• Make 1 withdrawal only for the full amount issued to the EBT card. The amount issued to the EBT card must be recorded on the 'How to use your Electronic Benefits Transfer card' brochure. ATMs only dispense $20 and $50 notes
• Make the withdrawal immediately
• Once the payment has been fully withdrawn, bend or cut the card in half and dispose of it
• If the EBT card has been lost or stolen, or the customer has any problem using the card they are to contact Services Australia, not the organisation that owns the ATM that is being used

The customer may contact the agency to advise the EBT card has been lost, stolen, damaged, deactivated by the Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) network, the Personal Identification Number (PIN) does not match the EBT card, or the PIN has been lost. They may also wish to dispute a transaction that has taken place. In these cases, follow the procedure in Replacing an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card at a customer's request.

Before reissuing the payment to the customer, the Service Officer must check that the customer is entitled to the payment. Reissuing the payment to the customer will automatically cancel the EBT card. If the customer is not entitled to the payment, the reissue of the payment should be permanently blocked by the Service Officer. The most common instance where this would occur is in the case of cards issued under pre-release procedures and the prisoner was not released as expected.

It is also possible to temporarily block and hold a payment from immediate reissue. This may be appropriate if the customer is no longer current and it is not possible to determine the correctness of the default payment destination.

When notification is received that an EBT card has been returned or found and handed in, the EBT card must be checked for any outstanding balance and then cancelled immediately. If an EBT card:

• has been returned by the customer, the card should be destroyed by bending it in half and disposing of it
• is found by a member of the public, they should be advised to hand the card into a service centre or destroy the card by bending it in half and disposing of it
• has been found and handed in, the card should be recorded in the EBT daily issue register, bent in half and disposed of

The EBT card's balance must be manually checked, and if a balance remains, it must be reissued to the customer via direct credit to the customer's regular bank account.