Gov. Shapiro announces plan to reimburse stolen SNAP benefits
If you have had your Pennsylvania Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits stolen since October 1, 2022, you are now eligible to have those stolen funds replaced,
According to a release from the PA Governor's office, anyone who has had their SNAP assistance funds stolen can now have those funds returned for the first time thanks to federal funds provided in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023.
Benefits are reimbursable as long as the funds are reported stolen within 60 days of discovery. They are also capped at two months of your normal benefit amount per reimbursement.
Funds are considered "stolen" if they are taken through skimming, cloning, phishing scams, or other types of scams.
"SNAP is the nation's most important food security program, helping more than 1.9 million Pennsylvanians put food on their tables to help them stay safe, healthy, and fed. But too often, bad actors attempt to take advantage of SNAP recipients by engaging in scams and theft of these benefits," said PA Department of Human Services Secretary Dr. Val Arkoosh. "I am incredibly pleased that we can now restore these benefits to the people who need them most. I encourage anyone who may qualify to reach out to DHS right away so you can restore the benefits you're entitled to."
The release provides the following guidelines to help you determine if your funds are eligible for return, and if so, how to request them:
"SNAP benefits are eligible for replacement if they were stolen due to electronic fraudulent activity, such as:
1. Skimming: The use of electronic equipment to take someone's information without their knowledge.
2. Card Cloning: Copying stolen electronic benefits transfer (EBT) information to a new card.
3. Phishing scams: When scammers use fraudulent text messages or phone calls to obtain EBT card numbers and PINs to steal SNAP benefits.
4. Scamming: Falsely convincing a SNAP recipient to give their EBT and/or personal information to someone else."
"DHS cannot replace benefits if the client gave their physical EBT card and PIN to someone who then stole the benefits, or if a physical EBT card was lost or stolen. The maximum amount a household can receive in a single reimbursement is up to two months' worth of their regular SNAP payment or the amount that was stolen, whichever is less. Benefits lost to electronic fraud cannot be replaced more than two times in a federal fiscal year, which runs from October 1 to September 30."
"SNAP recipients who have had their benefits electronically stolen can fill out a Benefit Theft Claim Form and submit it online or provide it to DHS through COMPASS, by calling the Customer Service Center at 1-877-395-8930 or at 215-560-7226 for Philadelphia clients, or by visiting a County Assistance Office (CAO). Reports of electronic benefit theft must be reported within 60 calendar days of the discovery of the theft."
