AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A program that helps feed low-income families is now a target for criminals, stealing millions of taxpayer dollars.
Roughly, 1.4 million Georgians receive SNAP benefits.
Yet, $23 million of credits have been reported stolen so far this year, according to the Department of Human Services.
Mary Klase is battling cervical cancer and an aggressive form of breast cancer. She receives SNAP benefits because weekly chemotherapy treatments and neuropathy in her feet and hands make it hard to do anything.
“I need to be focusing on my cancer and I can’t focus on that,” said Klase.
On Sunday morning, she checked her SNAP EBT account.
She locked her account and immediately drove to Walmart. But when she got to the register, she said the money for her groceries was gone.
“They took everything but one penny,” she said.
It’s not the first time. She says her account was drained in November 2024.
She had to rely on food pantries. But now, many of those are exclusively feeding students on summer break.
“They’re not even open to the public for you to go and get food that you may need because they’re providing for these kids,” said Klase.
Klase is not likely to see that money again.
A few years ago, Congress passed a law to help EBT theft victims reclaim the credits they lost, which expired at the end of 2024. Replacement benefits after that date are not available, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Klase called the governor’s office, who directed her to the Gwinnett County DHS Office, and they pointed her to an email. She plans to visit them on Tuesday.
She says $292 might not mean a lot to state employees or politicians, but it means a lot to her.
“They need to dig deeper. They need to find out exactly what’s going on and if they need to put an entirely new system into place, then they need to,” said Klase.
“I know I come across as being upset, but I am. I need this,” she said.
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