Well, That’s Gone: My EBT Misstep

Erik Austin
Aug 2
1 min read

So apparently, if you don’t fill out your EBT renewal paperwork correctly, they "discontinue “ it. No warning. No friendly reminder. Just a quiet little system update that says, “You no longer qualify for benefits.” Oops.

In my defense, I thought I had submitted everything. But I guess “thinking” and “doing” aren’t the same when it comes to bureaucratic portals that glitch if you so much as breathe near them.

It’s just frustrating. When you’re trying to stay afloat, something like this can feel like a rug-pull. Food insecurity isn’t some distant idea for me—it’s my Tuesday. Or at least it was.

I’ll probably have to reapply from scratch now, with more paperwork and longer wait times. I know I’m not the only one this happens to, but it doesn’t make it any less exhausting. If you’re on EBT: check your case. Double-check. Triple-check. And maybe don’t trust the “submitted” button the first time around.