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New Yorkers no longer getting reimbursed for stolen food assistance benefits

By

Caroline Lewis

Published Jan 23, 2025

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By

Caroline Lewis

Published Jan 23, 2025

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When Brooklynite Octavia Bell checked her electronic benefits account earlier this month, she was expecting to see a balance of around $500, the amount she usually gets each month from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, to cover groceries for herself and her three kids. Instead, she had just $55.

When she looked at recent transactions on Propel, an app for managing public benefits, Bell found that someone had recently made two big purchases in the early morning hours in Chicago, hundreds of miles away. The unauthorized transactions nearly drained her family’s grocery budget for the month.

“ I couldn't believe it,” said Bell. “ I laughed. I've never even been to Chicago.”

EBT theft has become rampant nationwide in recent years, and up until last month, Bell would have been able to take advantage of a federal program that reimbursed victims. That program replaced about $40 million in lost SNAP benefits for some 85,000 New York households between its launch in late 2022 and September 2024, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

But Congress opted not to extend the program as part of a broader spending bill passed last month, leaving those like Bell with little recourse. Meanwhile, the problem shows little signs of abating: In just the last fiscal year, nearly 100,000 New Yorkers filed claims, according to the USDA.

“ I'm just bumming off my mother, food shopping in her fridge, in her freezer,” Bell said when asked how she’s coping this month. “I've just been eating less, making sure my kids eat first.”

City officials are responding with ramped up efforts to inform SNAP recipients about ways to protect themselves from thieves who snatch personal data from EBT cards using devices attached to credit card machines, also known as “skimming.” Meanwhile, some state lawmakers are pushing for the state to create its own reimbursement fund and to pass legislation mandating technology changes that could help prevent such theft in the first place.

Skimming typically occurs when someone slips an incognito device on top of the machine used to swipe EBT cards at the bodega or grocery store, allowing thieves to collect shoppers’ personal information as they check out. They then drain their accounts, explained Jill Berry, first deputy commissioner of the city’s Department of Social Services.

“ If people see things that might be skimming devices, they can report them to the police,” Berry said.

But these devices, which are made to look like the top of a typical credit card machine, can be difficult to detect. A flyer from the city offering tips on how to spot one focuses on details such as whether the lights behind the buttons on the machine are visible.

With the end of the reimbursement program, the city is working with community groups to inform New Yorkers about how to protect themselves. “ We want people to remain very vigilant, monitor your benefits, make sure that all the transactions are ones that you recognize,” Berry said.

Reimbursement will still be available for those who their have cash assistance benefits stolen.

State Assemblymember Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas, a Queens Democrat, introduced a bill in 2023 that would require EBT cards, which currently have to be swiped, to be replaced with more modern chip cards that are harder to clone or steal data from. A similar bill passed the state Senate last year, but made little headway in the Assembly.

“ I'm going to continue to push to address the root cause” of EBT theft, Gonzalez-Rojas said. She added that she believes there will be greater urgency around the measure now that federal reimbursement has been discontinued.

At the same time, she said, she will be advocating for legislation this session to create a state reimbursement fund.

Nicolette Simmonds, a spokesperson for Gov. Kathy Hochul, did not respond to specific questions about whether the governor would support a change in EBT card technology or a state reimbursement fund.

“Gov. Hochul has taken significant steps to crack down on benefit skimming,” Simmonds said. Hochul has signed legislation to create a new tool for New Yorkers to lock and unlock their cards and to require stores accepting EBT to warn customers about skimming.

It’s still possible Congress could reinstate the federal SNAP reimbursement fund. The temporary spending bill passed in December must be replaced with another budget agreement by mid-March.

U.S. Rep. Dan Goldman, a Democrat who represents parts of Brooklyn, said he will advocate for the reimbursement fund but worries that congressional Republicans who want to limit government spending will block it. The United States is also bumping up against its debt ceiling, creating pressure to either suspend or raise the limit or slim down budget bills.

President Donald Trump had not yet taken office when Congress was weighing the last government funding bill in December, and Elon Musk had not yet assumed his post as administrator of Trump’s new Department of Government Efficiency. But Musk still exerted pressure on congressional Republicans to reject a deal that included more robust spending.

“Any member of the House or Senate who votes for this outrageous spending bill deserves to be voted out in 2 years!” Musk, the owner of X, said on the platform amid a torrent of posts on the funding bill at the time.

Goldman said he hopes the issue gets resolved quickly, since EBT theft remains a major problem for constituents in his district and “ often means they cannot put food on the table.”

Tips to Protect SNAP Benefits

Berry of the city Department of Social Services says there are several ways for New Yorkers to protect themselves.

• Continue to report fraud. For now, the Department of Social Services can continue to process claims for reimbursement for fraudulent transactions that occurred up until Dec. 20, when the federal reimbursement program expired.

  People should still report any thefts that occurred after that date in order to have their accounts frozen and their cards replaced. Fraud can be reported online through the ebtEDGE app, or by calling EBT Customer Service at 888-328-6399.

• Check your balance regularly. New Yorkers can also check their SNAP balances on the ebtEDGE app or website and keep an eye out for any suspicious activity — including transactions made in other states.

• Change your PIN frequently and avoid sharing it.

• Lock your card when you’re not using it. This can also be easily done on the EBT mobile app. While it won’t prevent skimming, it will prevent others from using your card while it’s locked.

Tagged

new york city

economy

new york state

Health and Science

Caroline Lewis

Caroline Lewis is on the health care beat for WNYC and Gothamist. She has covered COVID, a nurses' strike, the overdose crisis and New York’s marijuana legalization effort, and spent a year investigating patients' medical bills. She always wants to hear about how everyday New Yorkers experience the health system. Got a tip? Email [email protected].

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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

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