Disabled mother of three from Houston among SNAP benefit theft victims
Houston family has SNAP benefits stolen
More people who rely on food assistance are discovering their SNAP benefits have been stolen, often leaving families who need help unable to buy food for a month. FOX 26 Consumer Reporter Heather Sullivan has the story of a Houston-area family who had those benefits taken away.
HOUSTON - More people who rely on food assistance are discovering their SNAP benefits have been stolen, often leaving them without a way to buy food for their family for a month.
The USDA reports that fraudulent SNAP transactions have shot up 55% just this year. And now theft victims are no longer able to get replacement benefits after Congress stopped providing funding for it in December.
Houston mother has SNAP benefits stolen
What we know:
"Prices are rising, and SNAP benefits are going down. I wish I could help out more. I wish this wouldn’t have happened to me. And I feel more of a failure as a mother than anything because I can’t really help my kids right now," said mother of three Yolanda Berryhill, breaking down in tears.
Berryhill says she has lived with disability and has had to use a wheelchair since being shot in a robbery in 1998.
"Shot four times in a robbery and had three aneurysms. Thank God I’m here," she told us.
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She says she relies on SNAP benefits to feed her family of three daughters, 16-year-old Mariah, 12-year-old Christasia, and 3-year-old Blessing.
But when she went to buy food this past weekend, "The cashier was like, it’s not going through. And I was like, try it again, something's wrong, you know,'" Berryhill told us.
SNAP benefits investigation
*EDITORS NOTE: This video was initially reported back on June 16.* Stolen Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits continue to be an issue in Houston and beyond. The Federal government is now getting involved in investigating the thefts.
The Harris County Sheriff's office says Berryhill reported that $730 was drained right after funds were deposited, and spent at a Walmart in Germantown, Maryland.
Berryhill says she's now left to figure out how she'll feed her family this month and is hoping to raise funds through a GoFundMe account.
"It’s really hard because I had used my last $80 on my Social Security check to buy food for us to last for about a week," she said in tears.
Protect your SNAP benefits
Experts says SNAP benefits are often stolen by crime rings getting account information by placing skimmers on card readers in stores. And as of last December, Congress no longer provides replacement funds for victims of theft.
RELATED: Texas Senate passes bill to ban junk food purchases with SNAP benefits
"It’s estimated something above $400 million is stolen every year from low-income households, moms and dads who are trying to feed their kids," said Justin King of the Propel app.
Propel is a free app that helps users manage their SNAP benefits and alerts them to suspicious activity. King says SNAP programs need more security like credit cards have, such as encryption chips or blocking suspicious transactions.
"We see really negative outcomes. People are victimized in this, where people go deeper into debt, they fall behind on other bills," said King.
What you can do:
Here are tips from Texas Health and Human Services and the Propel app to protect SNAP funds.
Recipients can use the free Your Texas Benefits app to lock their card between purchases and change their PIN.
King suggests changing the PIN often and right before new funds are deposited.
These apps and others can help monitor SNAP account activity. King says the Propel app also alerts users to suspicious transactions.
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Texas Health and Human Services sent us the following statement regarding SNAP fraud:
HHSC takes the security of our client’s benefits very seriously. Anyone who believes their Lone Star Card has been stolen or compromised can find instructions on how to report it on the HHSC website.
SNAP card skimming has been a persistent problem across the country, including Texas. HHSC Office of Inspector General (OIG) has resources on its website.
HHSC advises clients to be proactive about preventing fraud on their Lone Star Card. Client tips about how to protect themselves from fraud can be viewed on the HHSC website.
Your Texas Benefits website and mobile app allow clients to monitor their card transactions, change their PIN and lock their card between purchases.
If a client has been a victim of fraud, they should take immediate action by doing the following:
- Call the Lone Star Help Desk at 800-777-7328 to change their PIN and cancel their card.
- Report the fraud to the OIG by calling 2-1-1, and after choosing a language, pick option 3.
To request replacement benefits due to unauthorized use:
- Go to your local HHSC benefits office to complete Form H1854, Affidavit for Unauthorized Use of Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) benefits
- Within two weeks, HHSC will review the information and let you know by mail if you’re eligible for replacement benefits.
- Please note, SNAP benefits that were stolen on or after Dec. 21, 2024, are not eligible for replacement. The federal law that allowed replacement was not extended beyond Dec. 20, 2024.
The Source: Information in this article is from Texas Health and Human Services, the US Department of Agriculture, the Propel app, and our interview with Yolanda Berryhill.