SNAP Skimming Victims To Get Full Benefits Back Under Proposed 2025 Act: Bill Mandates 100% Reimbursement

The "Fairness for Victims of SNAP Skimming Act of 2025" aims to fix a critical gap for folks relying on food assistance. This bill makes a straightforward change to current law: if your SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits, often distributed via EBT (Electronic Benefit Transfer) cards, are stolen through card skimming, this act ensures you get back the full amount swiped.

Closing the Reimbursement Gap for Skimmed SNAP Funds

Imagine this: you go to buy groceries, and your SNAP EBT card balance is suddenly much lower, or even zero, because a scammer skimmed your card details at a compromised terminal. It’s a gut-wrenching scenario, especially when you're counting on those funds to feed your family. Under the current rules for replacing stolen benefits, outlined in Section 501(b)(2) of division HH of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (also found in 7 U.S.C. 2016a(b)(2)), there was ambiguity that could mean victims didn't always get the full stolen amount back. This new Act amends that language, explicitly stating that replacement EBT benefits will be "equal to the amount stolen from the household." So, if $100 is fraudulently skimmed, you're entitled to a $100 replacement.

Real Dollars, Real Groceries: What This Fix Means for Families

So, what does this legislative tweak actually mean for people using SNAP? It means more security for your food budget. Losing any amount of SNAP benefits to fraud is tough, but not getting the full sum back adds financial strain to an already difficult situation. This bill is designed to ensure that victims of EBT skimming – where thieves use hidden devices to steal card information – aren't left covering part of the loss from a crime committed against them. It’s a targeted adjustment to existing law, not an entirely new program, but it’s focused on making a tangible difference for households. By clarifying the reimbursement mandate, the goal is to ensure the system more effectively supports victims of this specific type of fraud, helping them fully recover what was wrongfully taken.