On Dec. 21, 2024, the federal program that let states replace SNAP benefits stolen from EBT cards stopped. USDA’s stolen-benefits page, updated Sept. 8, 2026, says the American Relief Act, 2025 “did not extend this authority for benefits stolen beyond December 20, 2024.” The page describes no federal replacement process for any theft after that date.
Anyone on SNAP whose card is skimmed or cloned today is outside that program. The people affected are households that spot an unauthorized charge, and the decision in front of them is how fast to change the PIN and report the loss. USDA’s guidance is to check the account regularly, change the PIN right away if something looks wrong, and contact the local SNAP office.
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Replacement covered thefts from Oct. 1, 2022
According to the USDA page, Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 in December 2022, allowing states to use federal funds to replace SNAP benefits stolen through card skimming, card cloning and similar methods. The law required states to replace benefits stolen between Oct. 1, 2022 and Sept. 30, 2024.
Replacements could not exceed the amount actually stolen. The page also caps them at the household’s benefit allotment for the two months before the theft, and the lower of the two amounts applies. States submitted plans by Feb. 27, 2023, and the Food and Nutrition Administration had approved all of them by October 2023.
Congress moved the end date once, then stopped
The Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 changed the end of the theft period from Sept. 30, 2024 to Dec. 20, 2024, the page says. A memo in October 2024 explained the effect of that continuing resolution. The American Relief Act, 2025 followed, and it did not extend the authority.
In December 2024, the agency issued a memo announcing that stolen-benefit replacement would sunset effective Dec. 21, 2024. USDA’s page is still the agency’s description of the rules, almost two years later, and it shows no restoration of the authority.
A month of food is the amount at risk
The size of a loss depends on the household’s allotment. Under USDA’s fiscal 2027 cost-of-living memo, effective Oct. 1, 2026, the maximum monthly SNAP benefit in the 48 states and D.C. is $306 for one person and $1,023 for four. A theft can take whatever the account holds, which right after issuance day is the household’s whole month of benefits.
The same memo sets the minimum benefit at $25. Because the former replacement cap was based on the two months before a theft, a household that lost a full month under the old rules could have recovered it. That route is gone for thefts after Dec. 20, 2024.
Where a household with a stolen balance can turn
USDA’s page tells households that think their card was skimmed to contact the local SNAP office, and to report suspicious activity there. It does not say whether a state may replace benefits from its own money, so the local office is also the place to ask what, if anything, the state offers.
The page also warns of phishing. It says state agencies and EBT processors “will never call or text to ask for your PIN or card number.” A caller or text asking for either is not how those agencies say they work.
The PIN habits USDA lists
With replacement closed, USDA’s own advice is the remaining protection. The page tells cardholders to change the PIN at least once a month, right before the benefit issuance date. It tells them to avoid simple PINs such as 1111, 1234 or 9876, to cover the keypad when entering the number, and to keep the PIN and card number from anyone outside the household.
The page also tells cardholders to check the EBT account regularly for charges they did not make. If one appears, USDA says to “change your PIN right away to stop the thief,” then report the activity to the local SNAP office. Acting the same day matters more now, because nothing replaces what is taken after the PIN is already compromised.
Has the EBT PIN been changed since the last benefit deposit?
A stolen balance is one of the few SNAP problems with a fixed dollar cost and no federal remedy. The households most exposed are the ones who find out after the money is gone.
“The SNAP & Medicaid Renewal Organizer” is a 20-page guide with 51 state packs and a renewal and reporting calendar, so a household has the state office details and the dates in one place. Part 7 covers reporting changes and EBT problems.
Keep the 51 state packs and the reporting calendar handy in the Renewal Organizer →
This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
Warren Cohen is a finance writer based in Phoenix, Arizona, covering personal finance topics including credit, banking, and beginner investing. He earned his degree in business administration from Arizona State University and began his career working in consumer finance, where he gained direct experience with lending and credit systems. He now writes for personal finance websites and fintech platforms, focusing on clear, practical content that helps readers make informed financial decisions.
