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When my workplace opened for enterprise on Monday, Dec. 9, the ready room was rapidly overwhelmed by 28 individuals crowded into an area meant to seat seven.
The group of largely immigrant seniors had been all victims of criminals who heartlessly stole a whole lot, and in some circumstances 1000’s, of {dollars} they rely on to feed their households. Sadly, this similar scene unfolds at first of each month.
For thousands and thousands of American households struggling to place meals on the desk, Digital Advantages Switch (EBT) playing cards permit them to entry their Supplemental Vitamin Help Program (SNAP) and/or Short-term Help (TA) money advantages.
Throughout the USA, criminals are exploiting the poorest People by putting in skimming units on card readers in supermarkets or on ATMs. Between January 2022 and October 2023, there have been 80,000 reported thefts of advantages leading to a lack of $17 million.
Within the 5 ZIP codes that make up my Metropolis Council District, between Aug. 1 and Dec. 10, there have been 1,990 reported thefts of both SNAP or TA advantages. As of December 11, 2024, town’s Division of Social Providers (DSS) has obtained 135,300 distinct skimming claims and accepted $42.6 million in alternative funds.
These aren’t simply statistics; it represents 1000’s of households left to marvel how they are going to put meals on the desk. Alternative funds take roughly a month to put up to an account, throughout which period the impacted recipients should work out easy methods to feed themselves and their households.
Furthermore, this system that gives alternative funds should be reauthorized on the federal stage, leaving beneficiaries in a panic each time Congress has a finances battle. The truth is, with out motion from D.C., the present program was set to run out on December 20, leaving victims no recourse to recuperate stolen advantages.
For years, elected officers and advocates have sounded the alarm on this difficulty and referred to as for motion from these charged with distributing billions of {dollars} in public advantages nationally.
At the very least a part of the answer right here in New York appears easy. New York State should go S7823A/A4096A requiring EBT playing cards to make use of industry-standard expertise just like the chips on bank cards. In contrast to the present magnetic stripe playing cards, chip playing cards don’t transmit the cardboard’s actual quantity throughout fee, making skimming far tougher.
The federal government’s failure to behave on this doesn’t simply hurt the victims, it additionally hurts taxpayers who bear the price of changing the funds being funneled from our neediest neighbors into the pockets of criminals.
Congress should additionally guarantee everlasting funding for the reimbursement of stolen advantages. Defending essentially the most susceptible amongst us shouldn’t be topic to political brinkmanship.
Within the meantime, my workplace will proceed aiding affected constituents, serving to them apply for alternative playing cards and advantages, organising ebtEdge accounts, and instructing them easy methods to freeze and unfreeze their playing cards between purchases.
Sadly, these safety measures will be troublesome for seniors, particularly these whose first language isn’t English. Regardless of our greatest efforts, many discover it too difficult and return to my workplace when their advantages are inevitably stolen once more.
This factors to a broader difficulty inside authorities: the programs we create are sometimes too sluggish to behave. When criminals are stealing thousands and thousands of {dollars} from tens of 1000’s of our neediest neighbors, why does it take so lengthy for presidency to reply?
This failure results in an erosion of belief that has actual penalties, and it’s incumbent upon us to revive religion by way of good governance that doesn’t simply announce new initiatives, however ensures that present ones are correctly applied.
We should act now to make sure that no New Yorker goes hungry due to preventable fraud. By passing laws to safe EBT, we will cease criminals from preying on the poorest amongst us whereas additionally saving taxpayer cash.
Council member Sandra Ung represents the twentieth District, which incorporates the neighborhoods of Flushing, Murray Hill, Queensboro Hill, Mitchell-Linden & Recent Meadows.
