Form H1854 is the sworn affidavit Texas SNAP recipients use to report unauthorized Lone Star Card transactions and request replacement of stolen benefits. You complete it in person at your local Texas Health and Human Services Commission office, with staff filling in the case-file portions and you filling in the transaction details, the fraud method, and the signature. One threshold matters before anything else: federal funding for these replacements expired on December 20, 2024, and SNAP benefits stolen on or after December 21, 2024 cannot currently be replaced.1Office of Inspector General. SNAP Skimming Resources
Check Whether Your Theft Is Still Eligible
The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 authorized states to replace SNAP benefits stolen through skimming, cloning, phishing, and similar electronic fraud. That authority ran from October 1, 2022 through December 20, 2024. Losses inside that window can still be claimed only if you request the affidavit from an HHSC local office within 30 calendar days of discovering the unauthorized use, which makes late filing for older thefts a narrow window at best.2Texas Health and Human Services. Form H1854, Affidavit for Unauthorized Use of Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) Benefits
A few other boundaries apply. The form covers SNAP food benefits only, not TANF cash assistance or P-EBT. The theft must have been electronic; a physically lost or stolen card where the PIN was shared did not qualify. And households were limited to two replacement claims per federal fiscal year (October 1 through September 30). The head of household, a responsible household member, or an authorized representative can file.
Legislation to restore the program has been introduced. The Fairness for Victims of SNAP Skimming Act of 2025 (S.1540) would reauthorize replacements and remove the cap that previously limited reimbursement.3Congress.gov. S 1540 – Fairness for Victims of SNAP Skimming Act of 2025 It has not been enacted. If it passes, HHSC would likely reactivate Form H1854 for new claims.
What to Gather Before You Go
Bring three things to the HHSC office so staff can complete the form with you:
- Your HHSC case number as it appears in your benefit records.
- Your Lone Star Card number.
- A complete list of every unauthorized transaction, showing the date, the dollar amount, the retailer name, and the retailer’s street address, city, state, and ZIP code.4Texas Health and Human Services. Form H1854, Affidavit for Unauthorized Use of Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) Benefits – Section: Part II
The retailer addresses are where most applicants get stuck. Pull your transaction history from the Your Texas Benefits app, YourTexasBenefits.com, or by calling the Lone Star Card Help Desk at 800-777-7328.5Texas Health and Human Services. Lone Star Card FAQ HHSC warns against using third-party balance-check sites or apps, which can expose your account to further fraud.
How to Fill Out the Form
Form H1854 has five parts. HHSC staff complete Parts I and IV from your case file, so you don’t need to fill those in yourself. You are responsible for Parts II, III, and V.6Texas Health and Human Services. Form H1854, Affidavit for Unauthorized Use of Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) Benefits – Section: Part IV
Part II — Claim of Unauthorized Use
This is the transaction table. Enter each unauthorized charge with its date, dollar amount, retailer name, and full retailer address. Then check the box confirming your SNAP benefits were used without your household’s authorization. The listed transactions should add up to the total replacement amount you’re requesting; mismatches slow processing.
Part III — Fraud Method
Check the box that describes how your benefits were stolen: skimming, cloning, phishing, or another electronic method. This section is where the form separates eligible electronic theft from ineligible scenarios such as a lost card with a shared PIN.
Part V — Affidavit Signature
Signing swears, under penalty of perjury, that the listed transactions were unauthorized by your household.7Texas Health and Human Services. Form H1854, Affidavit for Unauthorized Use of Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) Benefits – Section: Part V Do not sign until you’ve verified every entry against your transaction history.
Where to Submit It
The standard process is in person at your local HHSC benefits office. Staff help you complete the form on-site and accept the signed original directly.8Texas Health and Human Services Commission. MEPD and TW Bulletin 23-10 – SNAP Unauthorized Use Replacement Benefits While you’re there, request a replacement Lone Star Card and set a new PIN; HHSC directs you to do both at the same appointment.
HHSC will mail the form only in a limited circumstance: you must be 60 or older, have a disability, or live far from the nearest office, and you must be unable to appoint an authorized representative to go on your behalf. In that case, call your local office and request the form by mail. Return the completed, signed form by the deadline printed on it or within 30 days of discovering the theft, whichever comes first.2Texas Health and Human Services. Form H1854, Affidavit for Unauthorized Use of Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) Benefits A household member or authorized representative can also pick up the form, bring it to you for signing, and return it to the office.
The Your Texas Benefits website and app allow document uploads for general benefit cases, but the H1854 affidavit process specifically requires in-person completion or the narrow mail exception above.9Texas Health and Human Services. Benefits Application Next Steps
What Happens After You File
HHSC compares the reported transactions against electronic benefit records to verify the theft. If the agency needs more information, it will contact you by mail or through the benefits portal. Approved replacement benefits are loaded onto your Lone Star Card, typically within two business days of the decision.10FOX 7 Austin. Deadline to Apply for SNAP Replacement Benefits Extended in Texas
Under the expired federal framework, the replacement amount was capped at the lesser of the actual amount stolen or two months of your household’s regular SNAP allotment. S.1540 would remove that cap and set the replacement equal to the full stolen amount if enacted.3Congress.gov. S 1540 – Fairness for Victims of SNAP Skimming Act of 2025
If Your Claim Is Denied
You can request a fair hearing. For a denial of a request to restore lost benefits, the appeal window is one year from the original request. For other adverse actions, the deadline is 90 calendar days from the notice.11Texas Health and Human Services. Submitting a Fair Hearing Request Summary
You can file the appeal in writing or orally. If you miss the deadline, a hearings officer can still accept the request when you had good cause; HHSC staff cannot refuse to forward it based on their own view of timeliness.
Penalties for a False Affidavit
Form H1854 is sworn. Claiming transactions were unauthorized when they were not, inflating amounts, or fabricating fraud is perjury under Texas Penal Code § 37.02, a Class A misdemeanor. The USDA adds that intentionally violating SNAP program rules can also lead to disqualification from the program, fines, and prison time.12Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Fraud Prevention Verify each entry against your transaction history before you sign.