DTA Assistance Line
The DTA Assistance Line is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by calling 877-382-2363. The Assistance Line features a series of Interactive Voice Response (IVR) menu options that allow callers to get information through automated prompts and transfer options. First Available Worker (FAW) staff receive calls from the Assistance line by logging into Five9 Desktop Agent in Chrome or Edge.
Functions Available to Authenticated Callers
Only the grantee may authenticate and hear information about their case. When encouraging a client to utilize the Assistance Line, you must clarify that non-grantees cannot call to get case information. A grantee can authenticate by entering one of three combinations in the IVR:
- Agency ID and Year of Birth
- Social Security Number and Year of Birth
- EBT Card Number and Year of Birth
Case summaries have been offered since the Assistance Line was created in 2014, but they have been expanded across SNAP, TAFDC, and EAEDC programs so that the most common questions clients have about their case status can be answered through the automated summaries. Case information includes:
- Case status
- Reporting type and requirements
- Upcoming due dates
- Benefit amount
- Next benefit issuance date
- EBT balance
- Date EBT card was mailed
- Document status
- Average document processing times (if pending review)
- Interactive Updates/Requests
- Update phone number
- Request Income Verification/ Termination Verification Letters
- Report a SNAP household misfortune
Transfer Options
After authenticating and hearing case summaries or based on navigating the menu prompts for callers who do not authenticate, a caller can connect directly to a:
- First Available Worker (for SNAP-only cases and non-authenticated callers)
- TAFDC and EAEDC case managers (for authenticated callers with pending, active, or recently closed Economic Assistance cases)
- Senior Assistance Office (for authenticated callers served by the SAO)
- Domestic Violence specialists (based on zip code entry for specialist serving area)
- Client Assistance Coordinators (based on zip code entry for specialist serving area)
- Full Engagement Workers (based on zip code entry for specialist serving area)
- EBT Hotline
- Program Integrity Unit (including Fraud Hotline and Data Match Specialists)
- Division of Hearings
- Recoveries Unit
- Transitional Assistance Offices main line (TAOs) (based on zip code entry)
- Ombudsman Unit
Important: Staff must confirm the best number to reach the client, as well as their address(es), at every client interaction.
Staff-specific transfers (Economic Assistance case managers, DV specialists, CACs, and FEWs) will be driven by information in the BEACON database.
Languages
IVR services are offered to clients in six languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, Cantonese, Vietnamese, and Haitian Creole. All other language requests are routed to a case manager during business hours to provide a translator, if needed. See Accessing Telephonic Interpreters.
Once authenticated, SNAP-only clients whose primary language is recorded in BEACON as being one of these six languages will be automatically transferred to a FAW who speaks the applicable language, provided that the FAW is available within a reasonable wait time. If there are no FAWs available within a reasonable wait time, the client will be transferred to a different FAW who will use interpreter services. This automated transfer process will occur even if the client does not select the language in the IVR menu.
Outgoing calls that are placed by the DTA Assistance Line display on caller ID as COMM of MASS if the recipient has caller ID functionality on their phones.
Related Topics
Receiving Calls in the Phone Queue
Answering and Ending Phone Calls
Last Update: August 3, 2023