Replacement SNAP for some skimming cases, Senate Ways and Means Budget Analysis

FoodSNAP

Our next SNAP Coalition meeting will be Tuesday, May 23 from 10-11:30.  

Replacement benefits issued for households whose SNAP was stolen before October 1, 2022

Since spring 2022, thousands of SNAP households in MA have had their SNAP stolen after thieves copied their EBT card and account information via “skimming” at a Point of Sale device in the checkout line. Until today, no MA families have had their stolen SNAP replaced. 

In December, Congress passed a law providing for federal funds for replacement for up to 2 months-worth of SNAP stolen on or after October 1, 2022. No SNAP has been replaced yet for MA households who had their SNAP stolen after October 1st.  

In March, Governor Healey signed a supplemental budget providing state funds to replace benefits stolen before October 1, 2022. Today, DTA took the first big step of making families whole who have been harmed by skimming. DTA issued replacement SNAP to households it knew had SNAP stolen before October 1, 2022. Those dollars should be available and on EBT accounts today, May 12! For more information see DTA’s press release here. 

We are thrilled these replacement dollars have been issued - families have continued to struggle financially to make up for the cost of the stolen SNAP, even many months later. 

If any family whose SNAP was stolen before October 1 did NOT get a replacement payment for all of what was stolen before October 1, 2022, please let MLRI know! It may be that DTA didn’t know about their case. Email Vicky - vnegus@mlri.org

MLRI budget analysis: Senate Ways and Means FY 2024 Budget and Amendments

On May 9, the Senate Committee on Ways and Means released its budget proposal for fiscal year 2024 (FY 24). This is the next step in the state budget process. Click here for MLRI’s preliminary analysis of selected budget topics affecting low-income residents of the Commonwealth including DTA cash assistance benefits, HIP, and other core benefits. 

Please let MLRI know if you are working on Senate Amendments and we will share them with the Coalition.We do not have amendment numbers right now, but should have them by Monday AM.  

  • Feeding Our Neighbors Campaign Amendment: Senator Sal DiDomenico is filing an amendment to restore state-funded SNAP and cash benefits to legally present immigrants who are barred from federal nutrition and cash benefits under the federal rules. Note that many new arrivals from Haiti (as well as Ukraine, Afghanistan and Iraq) are eligible for federal SNAP and cash assistance. However, other new arrivals who may be receiving EA shelter still fall between the cracks for access to basic cash and food benefits -  including immigrants from Columbia, Venezuela, Nicaragua and other countries. For information on benefits for Cubans and Haitians, see info HERE

 

Action step: Please reach out on social media to your State Senator and ask them to support the Feeding Our Neighbors amendment to be filed by Senator DiDomenico - to restore state funded SNAP and cash benefits for immigrants barred from federal benefits by Congress. Learn more and see a fact sheet here.