Township of Bloomfield Announces Reimbursement Options for Individuals Affected by Food and Cash Assistance Benefit Theft
BLOOMFIELD, NJ – In response to recent incidents of food and cash assistance benefit theft, Mayor Michael Venezia and the Township of Bloomfield has announced that households that participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, and/or the General Assistance (GA) cash assistance program can request reimbursement for electronically stolen benefits dating back to October 1, 2022.
“We strongly encourage the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity related to benefit theft,” said Mayor Venezia. “By working together, we can combat these crimes and protect the well-being of our community's most vulnerable members.”
Benefits may be electronically stolen in the following ways:
- Skimming: illegally attaching a device to a point-of-sale machine to steal EBT card information or a PIN.
- Cloning: copying stolen EBT card information to a new card.
- Scamming/phishing: convincing someone to disclose their EBT card information, often by a phone call or text message that pretends to be from an official government agency.
Cardholders whose Families First card benefits were stolen before July 1, 2023 will have until August 31, 2023 to submit a request for replacement, and cardholders whose benefits are stolen after July 1, 2023 will have 30 days from the date they discovered the theft to submit a request.
Cardholders are encouraged to immediately re-PIN or replace their Families First card to protect their benefits going forward. The Request for Replacement form can be found at www.NJSNAP.gov or by contacting the county board of social services.
The Bloomfield Department of Human Services is available to assist residents to submit their claim form. Please contact (973) 680-4017 or visit the Township website at: https://www.bloomfieldtwpnj.com.