The West Virginia Department of Human Services (DoHS), Bureau for Family Assistance (BFA) has announced that its ability to replace stolen Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits has ended. The federal Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 gave DoHS’s BFA the ability to replace SNAP benefits stolen via card skimming, card cloning and other similar fraudulent methods only through December 20, 2024.

The American Relief Act of 2025 was signed into law on December 21, 2024, and did not include an extension of the authority to replace stolen benefits.

West Virginia residents who experienced the theft of SNAP benefits between October 1, 2022, and December 20, 2024, may still submit claims for replacement. Please note that claims for SNAP benefits stolen after December 20, 2024, will be denied. Claims may be submitted by visiting your local DoHS office in your county or by contacting the Office of Constituent Services’ Customer Service Center at 1-877-716-1212. For a list of local offices, visit dhhr.wv.gov/bms/Pages/Field-Offices.aspx.

Residents are encouraged to protect their benefits by following these tips: avoiding the use of easy-to-guess PIN numbers, keeping PIN and card numbers secret, changing PIN numbers often, checking EBT accounts regularly for unauthorized charges, and contacting their local DoHS office for assistance when needed.

For more information, visit the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) website at www.fns.usda.gov/snap/stolen-benefits or the Office of Shared Administration’s (OSA) Office of EBT website at dhhr.wv.gov/ebt/Pages/default.aspx.