Received a SNAP Disqualification Letter? Here’s What You Should Do
If you’re running a SNAP-approved small business, you should stay extra careful. That’s because even the most negligenterrors might result in you receiving a SNAP disqualification notice from the USDA.
A SNAP disqualification letter means the government believes that your store violated federal rules. So, you need to act fast to protect your livelihood and your store’s reputation before the whole thing turns awry.
Thus, sitting and panicking won’t get you anywhere. If you’ve received a SNAP disqualification letter, consult with an experienced Pittsburgh criminal lawyer from our Logue Law Group right away. They can help you understand the specific charges and assist you in making sure your reputation and business stay intact.
The Concept of SNAP Trafficking
SNAP trafficking is the exchange of any food benefits for cash or any non-eligible items. For instance, if someone buys tobacco or alcohol (which are non-eligible items) with their EBT card, it is considered trafficking.
However, sometimes you can still receive a disqualification letter without any fault. That’s because sometimes, customers tend to misuse their benefits, for which you might be held accountable.
Other than that, here are some more factors the USDA considers as trafficking
- If a customer used their SNAP benefit more than once in a day.
- If there was a massive purchase in a day.
- If an employee in your store made a mistake.
- If an authorized food item got miscoded.
What to Do After Receiving the Letter?
If you have received a charge letter for SNAP disqualification, you have exactly 10 days to respond. If you ignore or fail to respond within this deadline, the USDA can impose a permanent ban on your store! And this can jeopardize your business and your livelihood as well.
Also, your response to the letter should be thorough and address every specific charge that has been mentioned. This is where having a Pittsburgh criminal lawyer can be beneficial. They can help you draft a response that properly states your side of the story.
Along with that, you also need proof to show that you’re innocent. So, gather all your store records, transaction logs, and invoices, and attach them to your response. Your lawyer can help arrange the documents accordingly to make sure that every point has been addressed.
The Civil Money Penalty (CMP)
In some cases, you can avoid a permanent ban by paying a fine, known as a Civil Money Penalty (CMP).
However, the USDA only grants this to businesses that meet some specific criteria. For instance, to be eligible to pay a fine, you have to prove that you had an effective compliance policy in place before the violations happened.
Also, you do need to request paying a CMP within the 10-day deadline, failing which might bring about unnecessary hassles to your business and livelihood.
Logue Law Group: The Solution You Need
Always remember that for you, the future of your business and yourself is more important. Therefore, don’t risk it by entering into a complex legal discrepancy.
Instead, call us at the Logue Law Group and speak with our expert Pittsburgh criminal lawyers ASAP. They can help you craft a detailed response to the charge letter so that your business retains SNAP benefits seamlessly. Just dial 412-387-6901 or send an email to sean@seanloguelaw.com to consult with our experts today!