Why Your EBT Deposit Might Be Late and What to Do

Several factors can delay your EBT deposit, ranging from simple paperwork issues to broader systemic problems. Understanding the potential cause can help you figure out the next steps.

Administrative or Eligibility Snags

Your benefits can be suspended if required paperwork, like a Combined Six-Month Report, is late or incomplete. Delays also happen when verification documents for income or identity are missing. Failing to complete your recertification on time or having data mismatches, such as an incorrect address in the state's system, will also pause payments until the issues are resolved.

Program Sanctions, Holds, or Offsets

For cash programs like MFIP, failing to meet work or child-support requirements can lead to a sanction that reduces or stops payments. Benefits might also be frozen during a fraud investigation or quality-control review. Additionally, your current deposit could be lowered or eliminated to repay a prior overpayment.

Changes in Household Circumstances or Policy Shifts

If you report changes to your income or household size, your benefits must be recalculated, which can cause a delay. If the state discovers unreported changes, your case may be stalled for a manual review. Major policy updates can also lead to temporary system conversions and payment delays.

Processing or System-Wide Delays

Sometimes the delay is out of your hands. High caseloads at county offices can create backlogs. Widespread issues like state computer outages, natural disasters, or even a temporary lapse in federal funding can also prevent benefits from being released on schedule.

Do EBT Benefits Expire or Roll Over?

In Minnesota, unused EBT benefits roll over from month to month. However, the rules for how long they remain available depend on whether they are for food or cash assistance programs. Each type has a different expiration timeline.

Unused SNAP benefits will accumulate on your card indefinitely. To keep them active, you must access your account at least once every 12 months. Accessing the account includes making a purchase or checking your balance. Benefits older than one year are permanently removed if the card is inactive during that time.

Cash assistance funds, such as those from MFIP or General Assistance, expire more quickly. These benefits are canceled if not used within 90 days of being issued. You can request to have canceled funds restored, but this is only granted under specific circumstances detailed in state law.

How to Make Your EBT Benefits Last the Whole Month

Making your monthly EBT benefits stretch requires a bit of planning and a focus on intentional spending. With a few adjustments to your shopping routine, you can avoid running short before your next deposit arrives. Adopting some new habits can make a significant difference in your monthly food budget.

Track Your Balance in Real Time

Before you shop, open the Benny app to see your exact EBT balance. This real-time tracker helps you set a weekly spending cap and prevent accidental overdrafts. Knowing what you have left avoids unwelcome surprises at the checkout counter.

You can download for iOS or for Android to get started.

Earn EBT Cashback on Groceries

The same app also provides automatic cashback when you use your EBT card at participating Minnesota stores. This feature quietly adds a little money back to your card for later, giving you extra buying power toward the end of the month.

Participating retailers include:

• Walmart

• Costco

• Walgreens

• Trader Joe’s

Triple Your Spending at Farmers Markets

Take your EBT card to a Minnesota farmers market that participates in the Market Bucks program. They will match the first $10 you spend with an extra $10 in Market Bucks and another $10 in Produce Market Bucks, tripling your purchasing power for fresh food.

You can use these free tokens anytime before they expire on October 31, even at many winter markets.

Buy Discounted Food Bundles

Look for Fare For All pop-up markets in your community. These events sell pre-packed produce and meat bundles for 30-40 percent less than typical grocery prices. They accept EBT, and there are no income requirements to shop.

Stock up on freezer-friendly items to build future meals around what you have stored.

Shop for Late-Night Markdowns

Set aside a small part of your weekly budget for clearance runs at local grocery chains. Stores like Cub Foods and Target often apply deep discounts to dairy, meat, and bakery items after 8 p.m. and on early Wednesday mornings.

Buy only what you can freeze or use right away. Over a month, these half-price finds can add several extra meals to your budget.