People who get SNAP benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will soon get extra money. The amount will change from state to state. To help states fight SNAP benefit theft, the federal government is giving them extra money. As a result of thousands of lost SNAP benefit claims, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has offered a range of funds that can be used to fight fraud, improve technology, and teach people.
States will receive different SNAP benefit increases in the second quarter of 2024
An electronic benefit transfer (EBT) card is like a bank card; it’s used by SNAP recipients to manage their payments. Every month, money is put into them, and they can be used at stores across the country that accept them. Just like regular debit or credit cards, they can be used for scams like cloning, phishing, and skimming.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) said that 67,496 authorized claims for stolen benefits were recorded in the second quarter of 2024. These claims led to the replacement of payments worth nearly $32 million. Ten states have now gotten funds from the USDA to help them fight benefit fraud. People who work in health, human services, and families will use these funds. Find out more about these states here:
- Illinois Department of Human Services
- Florida Department of Children and Families
- Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services
- Maine Department of Health and Human Services
- Michigan Health and Human Services
- Minnesota Department of Human Services
- Mississippi Department of Human Services
- Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services
- Texas of Health and Human Services Commission
- West Virginia Department of Human Services
A total of about $4.9 million in funds were given out in all ten states. Not every state got the same amount of money. When a state gets money, it can be used for many things. In Minnesota, for example, the money will be used to protect benefit users by adding card technology.
In Kentucky, on the other hand, it will be used to teach local agencies, retailers, and SNAP recipients about fraud and how to avoid it. The extra money will be used to train staff on how to stop scams during the application process and to work with the media to make people more aware of theft.
People whose benefits were stolen can’t get their money back with this money; that money comes from somewhere else. As of now, federal law says that states must restore benefits that have been stolen.
In a statement, Cindy Long, who is the deputy undersecretary for USDA Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services, said that the USDA and the Biden-Harris administration will continue to support the SNAP program, protect low-income families, and fight fraud.
These handouts are very important because they give states the money they need to carry out program benefits in a way that protects the program’s integrity and meets the needs of the beneficiaries.
When will beneficiaries receive their SNAP benefit payments in October?
According to the SNAP benefit payment schedule for the next month, eligible households will get their benefits on the following payment dates:
- Alabama: October 4 to 23
- Alaska: October 1
- Arizona: October 1 to 13
- Arkansas: October 4 to 13
- California: October 1 to 10
- Colorado: October 1 to 10
- Connecticut: October 1 to 3
- Delaware: October 2 to 23
- District of Columbia: October 1 to 10
- Florida: October 1 to 28
- Georgia: October 5 to 23
- Guam: October 1 to 10
- Hawaii: October 3 to 5
- Idaho: October 1 to 10
- Illinois: October 1 to 20
- Indiana: October 5 to 23
- Iowa: October 1 to 10
- Kansas: October 1 to 10
- Kentucky: October 1 to 19
- Louisiana: October 1 to 23
- Maine: October 10 to 14
- Maryland: October 4 to 23
- Massachusetts: October 1 to 14
- Michigan: October 3 to 21
- Minnesota: October 4 to 13
- Mississippi: October 4 to 21
- Missouri: October 1 to 22
- Montana: October 2 to 6
- Nebraska: October 1 to 5
- Nevada: October 1 to 10
- New Hampshire: October 5
- New Jersey: October 1 to 5
- New Mexico: October 1 to 20
- New York: October 1 to 9
- North Carolina: October 3 to 21
- North Dakota: October 1
- Ohio: October 2 to 20
- Oklahoma: October 1 to 10
- Oregon: October 1 to 9
- Pennsylvania: October 3 to 14
- Puerto Rico: October 4 to 22
- Rhode Island: October 1
- South Carolina: October 1 to 19
- South Dakota: October 10
- Tennessee: October 1 to 20
- Texas: October 1 to 28
- Utah: October 5, 11 and 15
- Vermont: October 1
- Virgin Islands: October 1
- Virginia: October 1 to 7
- Washington: October 1 to 20
- West Virginia: October 1 to 9
- Wisconsin: October 1 to 15
- Wyoming: October 1 to 4