Stolen SNAP benefits may no longer be reimbursed if Congress doesn’t take action by the end of this month.
Under the current federal law, states are required to replace stolen benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). However, the provision that allows this, part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, is set to expire on Sept. 30.
Lawmakers have raised concerns that victims of SNAP thefts will no longer be guaranteed replacements issued from federal funds. SNAP is administered to recipients through electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards, similar to debit cards, which are loaded with money each month to use in participating stores across the country. Like regular debit or credit cards, they are subject to scams such as cloning, phishing or skimming.
A bipartisan effort to renew the current law and keep the same system operating is being led by Maryland’s Democratic representative, C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger. He is supported by 10 other lawmakers from across both main parties.
A ‘SNAP welcomed here’ sign at the entrance to a Big Lots store in Portland, Oregon, on October 28, 2020. SNAP benefits are issued to those with little to no income.
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“The issue is clear: federal SNAP beneficiaries around the country continue to be targeted and benefits are being stolen at record levels,” the lawmakers wrote in the letter.
“This vital extension will continue to protect victims of SNAP benefit theft—including veterans, families, low-income workers, children, the elderly and the disabled—while Congress continues to work with state agencies, FNS and EBT vendors to improve card security and modernize the SNAP’s EBT system.”
According to the letter, 125,000 SNAP households have had their benefits replaced since October 2022.
“We strongly urge Congress to take immediate action in the upcoming short-term Continuing Resolution to make whole the victims of SNAP benefit theft by extending the 2023 omnibus provision that provides for the replacement of stolen EBT benefits,” the letter continues.
During the second quarter of 2024, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported 67,496 approved stolen benefit claims, amounting to more than $32 million in replaced payments. New York has the biggest problem, accounting for more than a quarter of all claims made by SNAP recipients.
“This is a common sense solution that ensures tax dollars are used for their intended purpose and that American families do not lose their primary source of healthy foods,” Ruppersberger said. “No family should ever have to worry about how they will put their next meal on the table.”
Oregon Senator Ron Wyden proposed a bill earlier this year that would require chip-enabled SNAP EBT cards – an anti-theft safeguard already long-used on regular debit and credit cards. On a state level, numerous lawmakers have introduced bills that would either make SNAP theft harder, or dole out harsher punishments for criminals.
