LIBERTY- New federal and state rules allow certain benefits to be replaced if they have been stolen through electronic means (card skimming, cloning, third-party misrepresentation or other similar fraudulent methods such as phishing).
“Scammers are constantly looking for ways to separate people from their money, including those who are on government assistance,” says Sullivan County Deputy Commissioner of Social Services Giselle Steketee. “And they do it both on the Internet and at card-reading machines like ATMs, so people always need to be vigilant.”
“Thankfully,” she adds, “this new legislation allows us to refund stolen money to victims, ensuring they don’t endure further hardship because of crafty criminals.”
If Your Benefits Have Been Stolen
Immediately contact EBT Customer Service Helpline to report your card stolen and request a replacement EBT (Electronic Benefit Transfer) card by:
After you have reported your EBT card stolen and requested a replacement card, you can apply for replacement benefits. If you already received a replacement card since your benefits were stolen, you do not need to replace your card again.
Eligibility for Replacement Benefits
Before applying for replacement benefits, note that:
- Benefits must have been stolen electronically through skimming, cloning or phishing.
- Benefits can only be replaced up to two times per federal fiscal year, which is October 1 to September 30.
- The law limits benefit replacements to the amount that was stolen, or two (2) times the SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and/or TA (Temporary Assistance) cash benefits received in the last full month of issuance before benefits were stolen, whichever is less.
Even if your SNAP or TA case has closed since benefits were stolen, you may still be eligible for replacement benefits.
- SNAP benefits may be eligible for replacement if the date of theft is on or after October 1, 2022.
- TA cash benefits may be eligible for replacement…
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