SNAP benefits continue to be stolen, but reimbursement funding is dried up

People who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP benefits, to put food on the table are looking for help.

Thieves have been stealing those benefits, and the federal funding to reimburse stolen benefits has dried up.

SNAP benefits being stolen through skimming or other means has been a problem for the past few years.

Grace Perry, a resident of New Britian, said she was trying to purchase groceries earlier this week when her Electronic Benefit Transfer, or EBT, card declined unexpectedly after receiving March’s benefits that same day.

“It’s tough, it still is tough,” Perry said. “It’s scary. You’re losing your ability to take care of yourself, you’re losing your independence.”

Perry said she worked with the Connecticut Department of Social Services and learned almost $500 worth of benefits from March, and saved from last month, were stolen at three in the morning and used in Pennsylvania.

“This card has been in my wallet the entire time, I’ve never let another soul use it, ever,” Perry said.

But Perry is not alone in this experience. Since 2023, the Connecticut Department of Social Services said $6,363,297 worth of benefits have been stolen.

“Now, with the price of groceries going even higher, it makes it just exacerbates the problem,” Jason Jakubowski, of Connecticut Foodshare, said.

Jakubowski said people whose benefits are stolen are always welcome to check out any of the 600 food pantries statewide.

“We do our best to be able to make up the difference for a lot of these families. But again, we can only provide a fraction of what SNAP is able to provide,” Jakubowski said.

The state offers these tips for people to try to avoid getting their information stolen:

• Avoid simple PINs. 
• Keep your PIN and card number secret.
• Beware of phishing. DSS and EBT will never call or text to ask for your PIN or card number.
• Change your PIN at least once a month, right before your benefits are added to your card.
• Check your EBT account regularly for unauthorized charges.
• Report suspicious activity to DSS.

Perry said she receives reminder texts from the Department of Social Services frequently and changes her pin monthly. She said the advice she’s getting now is to change her pin after every purchase.

“You can’t plan on being stolen from,” Perry said.

The state was able to replace almost $6 million worth of stolen benefits since 2023 thanks to a federal reimbursement program.

The funding for that program ended on Dec. 20. Now, some leaders are calling on the federal government to put more money towards it.

“We want Congress to reconsider/increase funding to the USDA for investigating EBT thefts. And funds to increase the security of the EBT cards to make it harder for criminals to steal, including providing funding for states to transition all EBT cards to EMV, or chip cards,” the Connecticut Department of Social Services said in a statement.

Senator Richard Blumenthal’s (D-Connecticut) office tells NBC Connecticut they will be negotiating the next budget this week, and he’s in on a bipartisan bill that would make SNAP reimbursements permanent.