A Flushing city council member is calling on Congress to extend a vital program that reimburses stolen Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, tackling a widespread issue impacting residents both locally and across the country.
Council Member Sandra Ung co-introduced a resolution on Sept. 26 to allow the government to reimburse families whose benefits were stolen through Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card skimming. As of this month, federal reimbursement is no longer an option for victims of this crime.
Data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows that in 2023, over 125,000 households across the nation experienced SNAP benefit theft totaling over $60 million. The theft can be carried out through card skimming with hidden devices in ATMs and point-of-sale terminals or card cloning.
New York State accounts for a significant chunk of the theft reported in every state. Between January 2022 and October 2023, there were 80,000 reported thefts of benefits resulting in a loss of $17 million.
Her push for the federal government to extend these protections to vulnerable families came after she noticed an uptick in constituents showing up at her district office to report stolen benefits. While her staff was able to assist them in securing reinstatements during the month of Sept., the program has now expired.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 (CAA), which allocated federal funds to reimburse victims of SNAP benefits theft, expired on Sept. 30, 2024.
“Without this reimbursement, we are leaving these families to suffer twice—first, by the theft of their benefits, and second, by forcing them to choose between hunger and hardship. Congress must act now to extend this provision. It is not just a question of food security; it is a question of fairness, equity, and compassion for the most vulnerable members of our communities,” said Council Member Sandra Ung in a statement.
She noted that SNAP benefits are a lifeline for many families, and their loss could further exacerbate food insecurity or cause families to fall behind on payments for rent, utilities or other bills.
“SNAP is a lifeline for families who are already struggling to put food on the table, but when their benefits are stolen, they are left with a devastating choice to either go hungry or fall behind on rent, utilities, or other bills to afford groceries,” Ung added. “We cannot let families who rely on SNAP to fend for themselves when they’ve been the victims of a crime.”
Individuals can still file a claim to replace skimmed SNAP benefits after Sept. 30, as long as the theft occurred on or before Sept. 30 and the claim is filed within 30 days after they learned the benefits were stolen. However, the New York Department of Social Services (DSS) can no longer reimburse SNAP benefits stolen after Sept. 30.
So far, Ung’s resolution, which could convey the city council’s collective voice to change federal policy, has been co-sponsored by two Brooklyn majority city council members, including Council Member Jennifer Gutiérrez, who represents Ridgewood.
