A plan approved by the Department of Agriculture's Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services will aim to help 3,800 known victims of fraud recoup more than $2.5 million in stolen SNAP benefits.
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Maryland was the first in the United States to submit and be approved for a reimbursement plan.
Now that the plan is approved, Maryland may now use federal funds to replace SNAP benefits stolen by EBT card skimming between October 1, 2022 and September 30, 2024.
"These benefits are critical for some of Maryland's most vulnerable residents and it was imperative that we move immediately to help restore faith in their services and help make them whole," said Governor Wes Moore. "We want to thank all of our partners, under the leadership of the Maryland Department of Human Services—from the Maryland legislature, advocacy groups, federal agency and congressional delegation members—for working with us to swiftly enact this plan of action."
The new plan outlines steps that the department is taking to improve security of EBT cards, those steps include:
- Establishing system features that allow clients to lock their card when it is not being used;
- Implementing systems feature that will text and email a card holder every time their card is used; and
- Educating program recipients on how they may protect their cards to prevent fraud.
“We took swift and decisive action to replace the stolen benefits that mean so much to the individuals and families we serve,” said Maryland Department of Human Services Acting Secretary Rafael López. “I am grateful for Governor Wes Moore’s leadership on this issue, to our federal partners at the Food and Nutrition Service, and to Maryland’s congressional leaders for their support in reviewing and ultimately approving this plan.”
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The DHS expects that effected households will be able to file a reimbursement claim as soon as mid-March.
