SNAP food assistance is being stolen from families in need. Here’s how Congress can help | Opinion

Skimming criminals are using hidden devices on card readers to steal SNAP electronic benefit transfer card information, targeting families and older adults who depend on these benefits to survive. California has been hit especially hard, with some $5 million in SNAP food assistance stolen each month.

The Central Valley has been deeply affected by skimming theft, with data revealing that criminals have stolen approximately $3.6 million in food benefits across Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera and Tulare counties — critical resources families depended on to put food on the table.

Now, as Congress considers a Farm Bill extension, it must include a permanent extension of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s authority to replace stolen food benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) — called CalFresh in California — to protect the victims of these crimes.

Unlike commercial debit and credit cardholders, SNAP recipients have no guaranteed protections to recover stolen funds. Losing a month’s worth of benefits often forces impossible choices, like skipping meals to pay rent.

This authority would not only ensure that families facing hunger have a way to partially restore the food assistance they rely upon in order to eat, it also ensures a pathway for victims to report crimes that have been perpetrated against them. With this authority set to expire on December 20, countless families risk losing the food they rely on during the holiday season — a time when budgets are already stretched thin by rising utility costs, dropping temperatures and holiday expenses.

Food banks, already stretched to their limits, cannot fill the gap if action isn’t taken. Congress must act now to protect families from the unthinkable prospect of an empty holiday table because their grocery benefits were stolen.

SNAP benefits also play a critical role in supporting our local markets, especially during the holiday season when grocery stores and farmers’ markets rely on steady consumer demand to maintain jobs and revenue. Every $1 in SNAP benefits generates between $1.50 and $1.80 in economic activity, creating a ripple effect that supports jobs in agriculture, retail and manufactures. Ensuring that Central Valley families have access to these benefits isn’t just about preventing hunger, it’s about sustaining our community during a time of year that is vital for economic stability.

Congress must act now to ensure no family is left without support and no community is left to shoulder these losses alone.

The temporary provision Congress passed earlier this year to restore stolen benefits helped many, but allowing it to expire now would leave vulnerable households exposed. Hunger levels in California remain alarmingly high, and one in four adults and one in three children face food insecurity. SNAP not only fights hunger, it supports local community markets.

Congress must act by making this protection permanent in the Farm Bill extension. Families relying on SNAP deserve the same safeguards as other consumers. Restoring stolen benefits is a basic step to protect crime victims and uphold the dignity of those striving to make ends meet when their benefits are stolen through no fault of their own.