Allegheny County lawmakers call for better protection of SNAP benefits

“PITTSBURGH — People receiving benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are reporting cases of theft at an alarming rate.

Nonprofit groups like Just Harvest say nearly 19,000 cases of theft were reported in Pennsylvania last year, cases where criminals use devices to capture personal information when cards are swiped at the point of purchase.”

“It’s on an every-month basis; people will have the benefits deposited into their account, perhaps at midnight by 12:01, gone, drained out of the account,” said Rep. Abigail Salisbury, D-District 34, Allegheny County.

She says the state legislature needs to aggressively seek safety measures to prevent theft, like EBT cards with chips.”

Publish Date: 08-15-2025

News Outlet: WTAE