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Q&A
Council member inquires about SNAP fraud and benefit replacement issues
1:08:23
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123 sec
Council Member Chris Banks raises concerns about SNAP benefit fraud and the notification that victims would have to wait a month to get their benefits back. He shares examples of seniors whose cards were compromised, leaving them without food, and asks what is being done to address this issue.
- Banks emphasizes the trauma and food insecurity this causes for affected individuals
- First Deputy Commissioner Jill Berry acknowledges the problem of bad actors skimming benefits from low-income New Yorkers
- Berry explains that as of December 20, 2024, the federal government no longer allows replacement of skimmed SNAP benefits
Chris Banks
1:08:23
Thank you madam chair and to the administration, thank you.
1:08:28
Quickly, just want some clarification on the SNAP program and the fraud issues that have come up.
1:08:37
I know particularly there was a notification that went out that SNAP benefits wouldn't be if there was fraud or somebody's card was breached that they would have to wait a whole month to get back their benefits on their card.
1:08:55
And I wanna know what's being done.
1:08:56
I had two seniors whose cards were compromised and they had no food.
1:09:05
They card was compromised the first day of the month when their benefits were supposed to go on their card and we had to basically run around to other food to food pantries to get them food.
1:09:18
So what is being done by the administration to fill that gap, especially when we're talking about food insecurity, this just adds more trauma on especially a person or anyone shouldn't have to go through this.
1:09:33
So what's being done to address this issue, understanding that the benefits won't be on the card until a month later?
1:09:42
Who fills that gap?
Jill Berry
1:09:44
Yeah.
1:09:45
So thank you for that question.
1:09:46
And it is really unfortunate that there are a number of bad actors that are preying on low income New Yorkers in receipt of cash assistance and SNAP benefits and skimming those benefits from individuals' cards.
1:09:59
Unfortunately, December on 12/20/2024, we lost the ability to replace SNAP benefits altogether.
1:10:08
The federal government did not extend our ability to replace skimmed SNAP benefits after December 20.
Chris Banks
1:10:14
I'm aware of that.
1:10:15
My question is filling that gap, what are you doing to help fill that gap?
1:10:19
Are you allowing them to go hungry?
1:10:22
Is there any effort by the administration to assist these folks?