Special participant Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) situations include group living arrangements (GLA) and homebound or itinerant participants.

Participants residing in a group living arrangement (GLA) may be eligible when the GLA is certified by the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS).

Facilities that meet the definition of an FNS certified GLA use any of the following to deduct the NA amounts necessary to pay for food:

The NA amounts deducted from each EBT Primary Payee's account are credited to the GLA's financial account. The GLA can purchase the group's food without having to take many different EBT cards to the store.

An EBT Primary Payee who leaves the GLA is entitled to all or part of the NA EBT benefits already deducted from their account. In this situation, the GLA completes an NA purchase refund. This can be completed either through the POS device or by using the Offline Food Stamp Voucher. The NA purchase refund debits the GLA's daily transactions and credits the EBT Primary Payee's NA account.

The participant may reside in a facility that does not meet the definition of a certified FNS GLA. When this occurs, FAA establishes an Alternate Cardholder from the GLA and uses that alternate cardholder for all participants residing in the GLA.

When a participant leaves a non-FNS certified GLA, the participant is required to call the FAA office to have the GLA removed as their Alternate Cardholder.

Participants who are homebound are encouraged to choose an authorized representative or an EBT Alternate Cardholder.