Your SNAP EBT Card Got Skimmed? Here’s Why There’s Still No Federal Reimbursement in 2026 and 2027

Since December 20, 2024, there’s been no federal program to pay back SNAP recipients whose benefits are stolen through EBT card skimming. As of August 2026, Congress still hasn’t brought it back.

That matters because the theft itself hasn’t slowed down. Propel, which surveyed more than 8,000 EBT cardholders in early 2026, estimates roughly $607 million was stolen from benefit accounts nationwide last year alone.

Here’s what actually happened to federal reimbursement, which states still cover you, and what you can realistically do if it happens to you.

How Federal Reimbursement Disappeared

Congress first stepped in with the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, which let states use federal funds to replace SNAP benefits stolen through card skimming, cloning, or similar fraud. It covered theft dating back to October 1, 2022.

A later continuing resolution pushed the coverage window out to December 20, 2024. Then, when lawmakers passed the American Relief Act, 2025, they didn’t extend it any further — and the authority simply expired.

In the roughly two years it existed, USDA verified 1.9 million fraudulent transactions, hitting close to 679,000 households, and paid out $322.5 million in reimbursements. Since December 20, 2024, that money is no longer available to anyone, in any state, unless the state itself picks up the tab.

Subscribe or follow us and I’ll update this page the moment Congress moves on restoring reimbursement — it’s come up in committee talk more than once this year.

How EBT Skimming Actually Works

Most SNAP theft happens through three methods: skimming (a hidden device on a card reader copies your card data and PIN), cloning (thieves use that data to make a fake card), and phishing (someone poses as an official to trick you into giving up your PIN over text, email, or phone). The mechanics overlap a lot with broader identity theft protection — the same instinct to lock down access before someone else gets to it applies to your EBT card, not just your Social Security number.

Fraudsters tend to strike fast. Propel’s data shows 57% of thefts happen right on deposit day, and 53% of stolen benefits get spent out of the victim’s home state — meaning the crews behind this often aren’t local at all.

The human cost adds up quickly. Among people who lost benefits in the past year, 56% skipped or reduced meals, 43% went into debt or borrowed money, and 42% turned to a food bank to get through the month.

Only Two States Still Pay You Back

If you live outside California or Maryland, a skimmed SNAP card today generally means that money is gone — permanently.

Maryland has run its own state-funded reimbursement program since 2023 and kept it going after the federal version lapsed. You file an EBT Stolen Benefits Attestation Claim form through the Maryland Benefits portal, and the Maryland Department of Human Services (DHS) typically decides within 10 business days — no police report required, though filing one can help. For the rest of Maryland’s SNAP rules, including deposit dates and benefit amounts, see my Maryland SNAP guide.

California also reimburses victims, largely through state funds administered at the county level, after confirmation by a caseworker — my California CalFresh guide covers the program’s broader eligibility and benefit rules.

Example — Teresa, a SNAP recipient in Ohio (OH), had $230 stolen from her card on deposit day in July 2026. With no state reimbursement program in Ohio, her options were locking her card, filing a police report for the record, and getting through the month via a local food bank — the $230 itself was gone for good.

Example — Raymond, a SNAP recipient in Maryland, had $340 skimmed from his account the same week. He filed the EBT Stolen Benefits Attestation Claim form the next day, and Maryland DHS credited the full amount to his replacement card within eight business days.

Chip Cards Are Rolling Out — Slowly

Chip-enabled EBT cards are the leading fix states are experimenting with, since traditional magnetic-stripe cards are the easiest to skim. California was the first state to issue them, in 2025, and the early results are striking — Propel’s survey found EBT theft among California cardholders dropped from 19% to 8% after they received a chip card.

Maryland is deactivating its old magnetic-stripe cards on September 30, 2026 in favor of chip technology. Pennsylvania (PA) recently committed roughly $14 million to a statewide chip-card switch, and Oklahoma (OK), Alabama (AL), New Jersey (NJ), and Virginia (VA) all have rollouts underway through the same processing vendor.

The catch is money. The One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) cuts the federal share of SNAP administrative costs from 50% to 25% starting October 1, 2026 — right as more states are trying to fund a card upgrade. Anti-hunger advocates have said publicly that the timing makes some states reconsider whether they can afford the switch at all.

What To Do If Your Benefits Are Stolen

Act fast if you suspect your card was skimmed. Call your state’s EBT customer service line (the number is on the back of your card) to lock the card and request a replacement immediately — every hour a compromised card stays active is an hour a thief can keep draining it.

Change your PIN as soon as you get a new card, and again after every deposit if you want to be aggressive about it — several recipients who’ve been hit more than once say a monthly PIN change is what finally stopped repeat theft. Avoid obvious combinations like 1111 or your birth year.

Download your state’s official EBT app — it’s usually called something like EBTedge, ConnectEBT, or a state-branded name such as YourTexasBenefits — where the lock/unlock and out-of-state or online transaction-blocking features live. The habit that comes up again and again among people who’ve stopped getting hit: keep the card locked by default, and unlock it only at the register after the cashier rings up the total, then lock it again the moment the receipt prints.

For online grocery orders, unlock only long enough to place the order. Delivery apps sometimes charge a small adjustment after delivery (for a substitution or weight difference), and if you relock immediately, that follow-up charge can fail — so leave online transactions unlocked until you’re sure the order is fully settled.

None of this makes theft impossible. A few recipients have reported cards drained even while fully locked, most likely through a compromised store terminal rather than the card itself — but locking still closes off the most common way thieves get in.

If you’re in California or Maryland, file your state’s stolen-benefits claim right away — Maryland’s form is available through the Maryland Benefits portal, and California residents should contact their county SNAP office directly. Some states will ask for a case number to even open a claim, even if they ultimately can’t reimburse you; you can usually find it on any prior notice or renewal letter from your SNAP office, so it’s worth digging one up before you call.

Everywhere else, your realistic backstops are your local food bank and SNAP’s other support programs. For households already stretched thin, it’s also worth checking whether you qualify for SNAP’s minimum benefit rules or other assistance in the meantime.

Looking Ahead: Could Federal Reimbursement Come Back?

Two bills are sitting in Congress right now that would restore federal reimbursement. Rep. Zach Nunn (R-IA) introduced one after a personal experience — a veteran in his district had his SNAP benefits stolen — that would also fund reimbursement through civil penalties on thieves. Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY) has a separate, bipartisan-cosponsored bill that would require states to reimburse stolen SNAP funds using federal money.

Neither has passed as of this writing, and it’s unclear whether either gets attached to a future farm bill or moves as a standalone measure. I’m also watching whether more states follow California and Maryland’s lead on state-funded reimbursement even without federal money behind it, given how popular the programs are once they exist. I’ll update this page as Congress acts or new states announce their own programs.

Common Issues to Watch Out For

I get variations of the same questions from readers whenever this comes up, so here’s what trips people up most.

Assuming your state will reimburse you like California or Maryland. Unless you live in one of those two states, there’s currently no path to recover stolen SNAP benefits — plenty of recipients don’t find this out until after the money is already gone.

Believing a police report is required everywhere. Maryland doesn’t require one to file a claim, though it can help investigators. Rules vary elsewhere, and assuming a report is mandatory (or unnecessary) can slow down getting a replacement card.

Not locking the card between shopping trips. Card-locking is usually available through your state’s EBT app or a quick phone call, but more than half of people who don’t use it say they simply didn’t know it existed.

Confusing EBT theft with a SNAP funding lapse. A skimmed card is a criminal theft of your specific balance — it has nothing to do with the government-funding fights that occasionally threaten SNAP more broadly. See my SNAP shutdown funding breakdown if that’s the angle you’re actually worried about.

Waiting before reporting suspected theft. The sooner you call your state’s EBT line to lock the card and request a new one, the less a thief already inside your account can take before you cut them off.

Assuming a locked card can’t be touched. Locking is the single best step available, but it isn’t airtight — a handful of recipients have reported theft even with every lock feature turned on, usually traced back to a compromised store terminal rather than the card itself. It’s still worth doing every time; just don’t treat it as a guarantee.