(The Center Square) – Around $607 million was stolen from EBT accounts in 2025, according to a new report.
Propel, an EBT benefits tracking program, issued a report that found large amounts of benefit theft from cards used as a part of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. Among people whose benefits were stolen, 56% said they skipped or reduced meals and 43% reported going into further debt.
kAmy:>>J r96?[ 7@F?56C @7 !C@A6=[ E@=5 %96 r6?E6C $BF2C6 >@DE E967E @44FCD H96? :?7@C>2E:@? :D DE@=6? 7C@> 42C5 C6256CD E92E 2C6 :?DE2==65 D64C6E=J E@ DE62= tq% 36?67:ED] w6 D2:5 E96 E967E !C@A6= EC24<65 5@H? :D 5:776C6?E 7C@> E96 7C2F5 :DDF6D E96 7656C2= 8@G6C?>6?E 92D EC24<65]k^Am
kAm“%9:D :D 2 42D6 E92E :D 2 =:EE=6 3:E 5:DE:?4E 7C@> @E96C <:?5D @7 ?2E:@?2= 4@?G6CD2E:@?D 2C@F?5 D276EJ ?6E AC@8C2>D[” r96? D2:5] “xE’D 24EF2==J 7:?5:?8 4C:>:?2=D 2?5 86EE:?8 E96> E@ DE@A E9:D]”k^Am
kAmtq% 42C5D 2C6 @?6 @7 E96 =2DE C6>2:?:?8 |28DEC:A6 42C5D :? E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D] %9:D >2<6D E96 42C5D 2 E2C86E 7@C D42> 42C5 C6256CD H96C6 A2J>6?ED 2C6 AC@46DD65]k^Am
kAm~G6C E96 =2DE J62C[ !C@A6= 7@F?5 `gT @7 9@FD69@=5D C6A@CE65 E96:C 36?67:ED H6C6 DE@=6?[ 5@H? 7C@> afT :? a_ad] w@H6G6C[ DF>D @7 DE@=6? 5@==2CD H6C6 72C =2C86C E92? AC6G:@FD J62CD] p3@FE ecT @7 9@FD69@=5D =@DE >@C6 E92? Sad_[ 2?5 baT =@DE @G6C Sd__]k^Am
kAmr96? D2:5 96 92D EC24<65 C6A@CED @7 E967E 2E EC25:E:@?2= 8C@46CJ DE@C6D[ H96C6 7C2F5F=6?E 42C5 C6256CD DE62= tq% 36?67:ED 7C@> A6@A=6]k^Am
kAm%96 %CF>A 25>:?:DEC2E:@? 92D D@F89E E@ 288C6DD:G6=J AFCDF6 7C2F5 24C@DD D@4:2= D276EJ ?6E AC@8C2>D :? $}p!] %96 25>:?:DEC2E:@? 92D =:>:E65 H92E <:?5D @7 7@@5 2C6 2G2:=23=6 E@ 3FJ 2D A2CE @7 $}p! :? D@>6 DE2E6D]k^Am
kAm&]$] $64C6E2CJ @7 p8C:4F=EFC6 qC@@<6 #@==:?D[ 92D D=2>>65 E96 $}p! AC@8C2> 2D 36:?8 “C:76 H:E9 H2DE6[ 7C2F5 2?5 23FD6]” $96 92D 42==65 @? DE2E6D E@ :>A=6>6?E >62DFC6D E@ C65F46 C6=:2?46 @? $}p! 36?67:ED 2?5 3@2DE65 2E =@H6C 6?C@==>6?E C2E6D]k^Am
kAmq2D65 @? 52E2 7C@> ag DE2E6D[ E96 25>:?:DEC2E:@? D2:5 :E 92D 7@F?5 `ge[___ 5625 A6@A=6 C646:G:?8 $}p! 36?67:ED 2?5 bde[___ 42D6D @7 5FA=:42E6 6?C@==>6?ED] #@==:?D 3@2DE65 @7 96C :?G@=G6>6?E :? E96 (9:E6 w@FD6 uC2F5 %2D< u@C46[ =65 3J ':46 !C6D:56?E ys '2?46 E@ E24<=6 :DDF6D 24C@DD $}p!]k^Am
kAm“x 2> 6286C E@ H@C< H:E9 9:> E@ FD96C :? 2 ?6H 6C2 @7 244@F?E23:=:EJ 7@C E2IA2J6CD 2?5 7@C E9@D6 H9@ ECF=J ?665 E9:D AC@8C2> E@ DFCG:G6[” #@==:?D HC@E6 :? 2? 65:E@C:2= 7@C %96 w:==]k^Am
kAmx? a_ad[ r2=:7@C?:2 3642>6 E96 7:CDE DE2E6 E@ :>A=6>6?E 49:A A2J>6?ED @? tq% 42C5D] !C@A6= 7@F?5 E96 49:A 762EFC6 =65 E@ 2 5C@A :? tq% E967E 7C@> FD6CD 24C@DD E96 DE2E6] q67@C6 :>A=6>6?E2E:@?[ `hT @7 tq% 42C5 FD6CD C6A@CE65 E967E 2?5 gT C6A@CE65 :E 27E6C 49:A A2J>6?E H2D 25565]k^Am
kAm“r9:A 42C5D 2C6 567:?:E6=J E96 =@?8\E6C> A=2J E@ C65F46 tq% 7C2F5 2?5 E967E[” r96? D2:5] “r2=:7@C?:2 92D 56>@?DEC2E65 H92E :>A=6>6?E:?8 49:A 42C5D 42? 5@ E@ C65F46 tq% E967E]k^Am
kAmw@H6G6C[ r96? D2:5 E92E :>A=6>6?E:?8 49:A 42C5D 42? 36 6IA6?D:G6 2?5 E2<6 2 =@?8 E:>6 E@ C@== @FE :? 46CE2:? DE2E6D] w6 6?4@FC2865 DE2E6 =68:D=2EFC6D E@ :>A=6>6?E @E96C D64FC:EJ >62DFC6D E@ AC6G6?E tq% E967E[ =:<6 42C5 =@4<:?8 @C 3=@4<:?8 @FE\@7\DE2E6 EC2?D24E:@?D]k^Am
kAm%96 C6A@CE 7@F?5 cdT @7 C6DA@?56?ED 3682? E@ =@4< E96:C 42C5D H96? ?@E :? FD6 2?5 bhT 3=@4<65 @FE\@7\DE2E6 EC2?D24E:@?D E@ AC6G6?E E967E 2?5 7C2F5] r96? D2:5 E96D6 D@=FE:@?D 2C6 ?@E :562= 3642FD6 E96J DE:== C6BF:C6 >2?F2= DE6AD]k^Am
kAm“(6 5@?’E 92G6 FD6CD @7 4C65:E 42C5D E@ 92G6 E@ 5@ E92E 2== E96 E:>6 E@ <66A E96:C @H? >@?6J D276 D@ :E D66>D 2 3:E F?72:C E@ 2D< tq% FD6CD E@ 5@ E92E :? A6CA6EF:EJ[” r96? D2:5]k^Am
kAmr96? 6?4@FC2865 DE2E6D E@ 25@AE E96 >@56= @7 32?<D 2?5 4C65:E 42C5 4@>A2?:6D E@ C65F46 E967E @7 $}p! 36?67:ED] w6 D2:5 !C@A6= 92D 366? :? E2=<D H:E9 DE2E6 8@G6C?>6?ED E@ 3F:=5 2 A:=@E E92E EC24<D DFDA:4:@FD $}p! EC2?D24E:@?D 2?5 4=2DD:7:6D E96> 2D 7C2F5F=6?E]k^Am
kAm“u2>:=:6D 5@ H@CCJ 23@FE E9:D :DDF6[ :E’D 2 3:8 562=[” r96? D2:5] “(6’G6 8@E 2 =@E @7 H@C< 29625 @7 FD E@ >2<6 :E D@>6E9:?8 E92E A6@A=6 5@?’E 92G6 E@ H@CCJ 23@FE]”k^Am