BALTIMORE — Since the government shutdown, the feds have begun setting its sights on waste and fraud within the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, better known as SNAP.
Delays to SNAP benefits became a rallying cry during the shutdown, forcing beneficiaries to wait weeks for payouts.
Here in Maryland it's well documented that thousands of SNAP users have reported their benefits stolen.
A lot of this has to do with EBT cards not being equipped with security chips that are typically used to prevent hacking or fraudulent charges.
The USDA has launched a dashboard breaking down the number of stolen benefits in all 50 states, tracking how much its costing taxpayers.
For example, during the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2025, there were over 8,600 SNAP theft claims in Maryland, accounting for nearly 25,800 fraudulent transactions.
Of the fraudulent transactions, only 590 were denied, as opposed to 25,175 that went through.
According to USDA, 83 percent of the claims were approved, meaning more than $2.94 million had to be repaid to beneficiaries on the taxpayer's dime.
For state data dating back to March 2023, click here.
As of December 20, 2024, stolen SNAP benefits can no longer be paid out by states using federal funds.
