BREAKING NEWS!! EBT Food Stamp Cards Down In Several States - October 12, 2013. Websites Unresponsive, System Failure
**UPDATE** Posted October 13th, 2013
Media outlets have been reporting since 7 am this morning that the EBT Food Stamp system is back on track nationwide. Even though the government shutdown has been blamed for the EBT website and phone lines unavailability, news sources cite the Xerox company's back-up run on the system as cause for the EBT card failure. Cash assistance benefits were corrected first, with food stamp benefit access corrected within a few hours following.
Be sure to bookmark this page for future updates concerning food stamp benefit unavailability.
Unavailable Food Stamp Benefits
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Which State Are you Unable to Use Your EBT Benefits Card Today?
Original Article, Published October 12th, 2013
With the Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) website (https://www.ebt.acs-inc.com) and phone lines unresponsive, shocked customers are leaving grocery stores without food after their EBT food stamp cards fail to work at checkout.
Alabama, Illinois, Michigan, Mississippi, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia have stores reporting they are unable to accept the EBT (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as "SNAP" in some states) food stamp benefits at this time. Although different acronyms may be used in each states' self-run food stamp program, the end result of not being able to access these food assistance benefits is the same today across at least 17 states.
Over the summer, the EBT food stamp system had failed for one day, creating concern and frustration as people left their carts full and their plates empty after being unable to obtain food they had planned on having.
Some had speculated a crisis of this potential magnitude was looming, citing amongst other alarming activity the recent buying of mass quantities of emergency supplies by the US government and emergency alert systems being tested at the end of September. In correlation with protests today to impeach Obama, only time will tell how much of a crisis this turns out to be.
Many are only discovering this issue after taking their shopping carts through the checkout line. If you use the EBT benefits card, call the store ahead of time to make sure they are accepting benefits today.
Have you encountered this problem? We want to hear from YOU!! Please share your experiences in the comments below.
More information as this story develops.
In Pennsylvania:
**The EBT Recipient Hotline: 1-888-328-7366
**The EBT Merchant Hotline: 1-888-736-6328
