benefits stolen

GAO noted that available data understates the actual scale of SNAP theft, given that states are not required to report every occurrence, so many thefts go undisclosed. A new Government Accountability Office report calls for the Agriculture Department to take stronger steps to assess how states are implementing security measures to prevent theft of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits on electronic benefit transfer cards. The report released Thursday found states use a range of tools recommended by USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service to prevent theft but many of the measures require SNAP recipients to take individual action, “which can.