111. What if I was overpaid SNAP benefits?
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If you get more SNAP benefits than you are eligible for, DTA can recover the overpayment1. An overpayment can happen in four ways:
- DTA made a mistake and gave you too much in SNAP. This is called an Agency Error.
- You made an unintentional mistake that caused your SNAP to be higher than you should have received. This is called an Unintentional Program Violation (UPV).
- You received SNAP benefits while you were waiting for a hearing and you then lost the hearing.
- You are found by a court or a DTA administrative hearings officer to have committed fraud or an “Intentional Program Violation” (IPV).
2,3 DTA will not pursue an Agency Error overpayment if the amount is for less than $600. For example, if DTA paid you an extra $500 in SNAP by mistake, DTA will not ask you to pay it back.
DTA will not pursue a UPV or IPV overpayment if the amount is less than $125 - unless DTA discovered the overpayment during a Quality Control case review4.
This chart summarizes when DTA will and will not pursue an overpayment:
Will DTA pursue an overpayment?
| Circumstance | Overpayment Occurred 12+ Months Before DTA Discovery | Overpayment Less Than $600 | Overpayment Less Than $125 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agency Error | No | No | Not applicable |
| Client Error - UPV | No | Yes | No |
| Client Fraud - IPV | Yes (up to 6 years) | Yes | No |
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