Washington EBT and Basic Food (SNAP)

Washington Connection, MyWABenefits and the upload portal

Washington Connection is DSHS's application site for food, cash, child care, long-term care and some medical programs. Its home page has buttons to apply, "Renew my annual benefits" and "Report a change"⁶. Create an account, then activate it. An unfinished application can be reopened for 90 days with a temporary access code. The site logs you out after 30 minutes of inactivity and does not work in Internet Explorer⁶.

Two companion sites do separate jobs. The DSHS Document Upload Portal takes the proof your case needs. MyWABenefits, built for phones, shows the status of an application or renewal and your interview time, and can send text or email reminders⁶.

Washington Connection

The Quest card, PINs and theft

Pick up your Quest card at a Community Services Office and choose the PIN there, or have it mailed and call 1-888-328-9271 to set the PIN^5,2. Easy PINs such as 1234 are refused, and a replacement card keeps your old PIN^4,5. Check your balance on ebtEDGE, in its app, on your last receipt, or on the 24-hour line, which also reads your last 10 transactions^4,5. Report a lost, stolen or damaged card to the same number right away⁴.

DSHS's skimming brochure (DSHS 22-1911, revised June 2026) suggests keeping the card frozen in ebtEDGE except at checkout; a frozen card blocks purchases, withdrawals and PIN changes. Protect My Account blocks internet or out-of-state use¹². If you think you were skimmed, replace the card, pick a new PIN and file a police report¹². DSHS's card pages, checked October 17, 2026, tell you to swipe the card and do not mention chip cards^4,12.

Used benefits from a lost or stolen card "can NOT be replaced," DSHS states⁴. Federal replacement of skimmed SNAP covered thefts from October 1, 2022 to December 20, 2024, and Washington's last claims were due September 19, 2025¹¹. DSHS still replaces food bought with Basic Food and destroyed in a fire, flood, refrigerator breakdown or power outage of four hours or more, if you report it within 10 days¹¹.

• Card customer service: 1-888-328-9271
• Cardholder website: ebtEDGE
• Cardholder app: ebtEDGE (iPhone, Android)
• EBT processor: FIS

Washington SNAP and EBT phone numbers

Applying for Basic Food: online, by phone or at a CSO

1. Apply online at Washington Connection. Washington Connection takes applications at any hour. If you qualify, benefits count from the date DSHS receives the application, so turn it in early^5,6.
2. Or apply by phone with no form at all. Call 1-877-501-2233 between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m., Monday to Friday. You can apply and do the interview in that one call, with no form to fill out first⁵.
3. Or use a Community Services Office or the mail. Apply in person at a DSHS Community Services Office (find one at dshs.wa.gov/office-locations), or mail a paper application to DSHS Customer Service Center, P.O. Box 11699, Tacoma, WA 98411-6699¹.
4. Complete the interview. Online and mail applicants still have an interview, by phone or at the office. An authorized representative who knows your situation can do it for you^5,2.
5. Send your proof within the deadline. Bring or send proof of identity, household income and noncitizen members' immigration status. DSHS then sends a letter listing what is missing, and you have at least 10 days to provide it⁵.

DSHS must decide within 30 calendar days²⁴. Expedited service pays within seven calendar days if your monthly income is under $150 and you have $100 or less in cash and bank accounts, or your income plus cash is less than your rent or mortgage plus utilities¹⁴. Only proof of identity is needed for that first payment, and if you apply on or after the 16th it covers two months¹⁴. If DSHS turns down expedited service, you can ask for a review, decided within two working days¹⁴. Once approved, benefits are usually on the card the next morning².

Washington's 200% income limit for Basic Food

Gross limit: as published by Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), Economic Services Administration³. Net limit and maximum benefit: USDA FY2027 cost-of-living adjustments. All states compared.

Washington's 200% limit comes from a state rule: a household whose countable income is at or under 200% of the poverty guidelines is categorically eligible²⁵. The chart above is DSHS's own for April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027, rounded to the closest dollar; add $947 for each person over 10³. DSHS switches to new poverty guidelines each April 1, so a new chart applies from April 1, 2027²⁵. Your benefit is then figured after deductions: $217 standard for up to three people ($308 for six or more), 20% of earnings, child care, child support paid, part of housing costs, and medical costs over $35 a month for elderly or disabled members².

Legal immigrants barred from federal SNAP only by immigration status can get the state-funded Food Assistance Program (FAP), which pays the same amount; one household can get a mix of both²⁰.

Net income test. A household with countable income at or under 200% of poverty is categorically eligible, so it faces no separate gross or net test³. A household that cannot be categorically eligible (for example, one with a member disqualified for an intentional program violation) must meet the 130% gross and 100% net limits. If it has a member 60 or older or with a disability, only the net limit applies^25,15.

Assets. There is no asset test for a categorically eligible household: categorical eligibility removes the resource requirement along with the income tests^3,25. Only households that cannot be categorically eligible are held to the countable resource limit in WAC 388-470-0005²⁵.

Deposit days: a fixed date by the 20th

Basic Food is deposited on one day between the 1st and the 20th of each month; DSHS's eligibility system assigns the day when your case is approved and prints it on your approval letter, and there is no public table by case number.

The deposit day stays the same each month, even on weekends and holidays, and benefits are on the card by 6 a.m. Pacific time^4,13. Cash assistance is deposited on the 1st⁴. Unused benefits roll over, but if you use none for 274 days DSHS removes them⁴. Moving out of state? Call 1-877-501-2233 to close your case before applying in the new state; benefits already on the card can still be spent⁵.

Mid-certification reviews and eligibility reviews

Most households are approved for 12 months, with a mid-certification review at month six². DSHS mails that form in the fifth month; it is due by the 10th of the next month and needs no interview. Return it online, by fax to 1-888-338-7410, by mail to P.O. Box 11699, Tacoma, WA 98411, at an office, or by phone⁷. About 45 days before your certification ends, an eligibility review form arrives, and most food cases then need an interview^5,7. If everyone in the household is 60 or older or an adult with a disability and no one has earnings, DSHS can certify for 36 months with no recertification interview¹⁶.

Between reviews, a Basic Food-only household reports three things: gross income over the limit on the approval letter (130% of poverty) by the 10th of the following month, a lottery or gambling win of $4,500 or more, or work hours under 20 a week for someone subject to work rules^2,3,5. Families whose TANF ends while they get Basic Food receive five months of steady food benefits under Transitional Food Assistance¹⁷.

Rules specific to Washington

Time limit for adults without dependents statewide since February 1, 2026

Adults 18 to 64 who can work and have no child under 14 in the household get three months of benefits in 36 unless they work or join approved training 80 hours a month, or do Workfare. From February 1, 2026 no area of Washington is exempt⁸. Since the 2025 federal law, veterans, people experiencing homelessness and former foster youth under 24 are covered too; DSHS screens current recipients at their next eligibility review and says no one loses benefits over work rules before then⁹. American Indians, Urban Indians and California Indians with a reported tribal affiliation are exempt⁸.

Refugees and asylees moved to state food benefits in May 2026

Under the 2025 federal law, refugees, asylees and immigrants with humanitarian protection lost federal SNAP eligibility. In May 2026, DSHS moved them automatically to state-funded food benefits for the same amount, with no new application⁹. Citizens, green-card holders, Compact of Free Association migrants and Cuban or Haitian entrants keep federal Basic Food⁹.

Produce bonuses: SNAP Market Match and SNAP Produce Rewards

Department of Health incentives add produce money¹⁸. SNAP Market Match at more than 100 farmers markets and farm stands matches EBT spending, at least $10 a day from January 1, 2026¹⁹. The SNAP Produce Rewards pilot, run with DSHS, credits every dollar spent on eligible fruits and vegetables at participating retailers back to your EBT card instantly, up to $50 a month, to spend anywhere¹⁸.

SUN Bucks summer 2026: $120 per child, delayed

SUN Bucks paid $120 per child for summer 2026. A federal funding delay held up cards: about 400,000 were mailed by August 2026, with a final round expected around September 25, 2026¹⁰. Every child got a new card, and benefits expire 122 days after issue. Skimmed SUN Bucks are not replaced, and applications after September 4, 2026 count toward 2027¹⁰.

Heating allowance from LIHEAP limited from May 2026

A LIHEAP energy grant used to give any household the highest utility deduction. Under the 2025 federal law it does so only for households with a member 60 or older or disabled, and DSHS warned other LIHEAP households that benefits could drop from May 2026⁹. Households that pay their own heating or cooling bills still get the heating allowance²⁶.

No soda or candy ban, no restaurant meals

Washington is not on the USDA list of food restriction waivers updated October 13, 2026, so soft drinks and candy have not been removed²¹. It is also not a Restaurant Meals Program state on the list updated August 7, 2026, and hot foods stay off limits^23,2.

Other assistance in Washington

Sources

1. Basic Food Benefits, Washington State Department of Social and Health Services. Checked 17 October 2026.
2. Basic Food FAQs, Washington State Department of Social and Health Services. Checked 17 October 2026.
3. EA-Z Manual: Categorical Eligibility for Basic Food (200% FPL chart, April 1, 2026 - March 31, 2027), Washington State Department of Social and Health Services. Checked 17 October 2026.
4. EBT and EFT Make Getting Benefits Easier, Washington State Department of Social and Health Services. Checked 17 October 2026.
5. Basic Food Benefits: How to apply for and use (DSHS 22-297, Rev. 9/26), Washington State Department of Social and Health Services. Checked 17 October 2026.
6. Washington Connection home page, Washington State Department of Social and Health Services. Checked 17 October 2026.
7. Eligibility Reviews and Mid-Certification Reviews, Washington State Department of Social and Health Services. Checked 17 October 2026.
8. Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents, Washington State Department of Social and Health Services. Checked 17 October 2026.
9. DSHS Benefits and H.R. 1 (updated October 2026), Washington State Department of Social and Health Services. Checked 17 October 2026.
10. Washington SUN Bucks Summer EBT Program, Washington State Department of Social and Health Services. Checked 17 October 2026.
11. EA-Z Manual: Replacement (WAC 388-412-0040), revised September 8, 2025, Washington State Department of Social and Health Services. Checked 17 October 2026.
12. Protect your EBT Benefits from Card Skimming and Cloning (DSHS 22-1911, Rev. 6/26), Washington State Department of Social and Health Services. Checked 17 October 2026.
13. WAC 388-412-0020: When do I get my benefits?, Washington State Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
14. WAC 388-406-0015: May I get basic food right away?, Washington State Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
15. WAC 388-478-0060: Income limits and maximum benefit amounts for basic food, Washington State Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
16. EA-Z Manual: Elderly Simplified Application Project (ESAP), Washington State Department of Social and Health Services. Checked 17 October 2026.
17. EA-Z Manual: Transitional Food Assistance, Washington State Department of Social and Health Services. Checked 17 October 2026.
18. Washington's Fruit and Vegetable Incentives Program, Washington State Department of Health. Checked 17 October 2026.
19. SNAP Market Match, Washington State Department of Health. Checked 17 October 2026.
20. State Food Assistance Program (FAP), Washington State Department of Social and Health Services. Checked 17 October 2026.
21. SNAP Food Restriction Waivers (page updated October 13, 2026), USDA Food and Nutrition Administration. Checked 17 October 2026.
22. Contact the Department of Social and Health Services, Washington State Department of Social and Health Services. Checked 17 October 2026.
23. Restaurant Meals Program (page updated August 7, 2026), USDA Food and Nutrition Administration. Checked 17 October 2026.
24. WAC 388-406-0035: How long does the department have to process my application?, Washington State Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
25. WAC 388-414-0001: Do I have to meet all eligibility requirements for basic food?, Washington State Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
26. WAC 388-450-0195: Does the department use my utility costs when calculating my basic food or WASHCAP benefits?, Washington State Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.