Senator Iwen Chu Protects New Yorkers By Passing Legislation to Combat SNAP Fraud

New law directs New York State to find solutions to the theft of food stamp benefits

(Albany, New York) This week, State Senator Iwen Chu’s bill directing the Commissioner of the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance to conduct a study on the prevalence of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) fraud (S9649) passed the State Senate unanimously. The study must evaluate the extensiveness of this theft in New York, identify the common tactics used by scammers, and provide recommendations on how to improve the Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) system to prevent this type of theft in the future. Although stolen SNAP benefits can be replaced, the delay may result in families who are going hungry.

According to a report released this past May by the New York State Comptroller’s office, the poverty rate for children in Brooklyn is the second-highest in the state. Taking this step to crack down on SNAP theft will help lawmakers and law enforcement protect the lives of children and families, as well as seniors and the disabled, who need to be able to rely on these benefits every day.

Senator Iwen Chu said, “SNAP fraud hurts New Yorkers every day. We will no longer stand idly by while scammers are quite literally taking food off people’s plates, leaving the most needy among us with empty stomachs. When times are hard, every dollar makes a difference, and it’s our job as lawmakers to make sure that our constituents receive all the benefits they are entitled to. That’s why we invest in these vital government programs, and to see them be targeted by bad actors is unacceptable.  I am proud to have sponsored this legislation that will help us better understand the prevalence of SNAP/EBT fraud, as well as ways to guard ourselves against these scams. As evidenced by its unanimous passage, my bill strikes a bipartisan chord on the fact we can’t waste any time addressing this issue.”