USDA is committed to providing nutrition assistance to hard-hit families across the country due to the coronavirus pandemic. In support of President Biden’s call to action on hunger, USDA announced that it is increasing the Pandemic EBT benefit by approximately 15 percent, providing more money for low-income families and millions of children missing meals due to school and child care closures.
Congress passed a law in late 2022 to help SNAP participants who are victims of card skimming, cloning and other similar methods. To implement this new law, states are working quickly to develop and implement processes to help people whose SNAP benefits were stolen seek and obtain relief. FNS will list plans on this page as they are approved
FNS is working closely with our state and federal partners, SNAP retailers, EBT processors, and other industry experts to protect SNAP benefits and combat SNAP fraud.
Improving stewardship of federal money by reducing recipient fraud, reducing retailer fraud, ensuring accurate eligibility determinations, and reducing improper payments. Report suspicious nutrition assistance fraud to the USDA Office of the Inspector General.
FNS recognizes the power of SNAP in helping people stretch their food budget to purchase healthy foods and does not tolerate fraud.
FNS monitors SNAP-authorized retailers and transaction data and investigates potential concerns as illustrated in this SNAP infographic highlighting retailer compliance.
Retailers can review administrative sanctions against them. The results of these reviews appear in the case’s FAD.
Infographic explaining improper payments in the SNAP program.
USDA has issued guidance to states in implementing FFCRA of 2020 which provides for the issuance of emergency allotments based on a public health emergency declaration by the Secretary of HHS under the Public Health Service Act related to an outbreak of COVID-19 when a state has also issued an emergency or disaster declaration.
USDA is aware of increased reports of EBT theft due to card skimming, cloning, and similar fraudulent methods. On Dec. 29, 2022, President Joseph R. Biden signed into law the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (the Omnibus), which includes provisions for the replacement of stolen EBT benefits with federal funds.