OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — News 4 has repeatedly reported on thieves continually targeting Oklahomans who use SNAP benefits, or food stamps, to feed their families. The stealing isn’t slowing down, but now there’s no more federal funding to reimburse victims.
“I work full time but I do rely on my food stamps to make it through the month for my family,” said Jennifer Roy.
Roy said she receives $756 in SNAP benefits to help feed her household of five and make it through the month.
“It only lasts me about two weeks,” said Roy. “I know that sounds crazy laughs but there’s a lot of us.”
Those funds hit her account at midnight every first of the month. However, on New Year’s Day, Roy woke up to an empty account.
The money only sat in her account for, at most, five hours.
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“These were all done out of New York,” said Roy.
On Thursday, Roy called DHS. It turns out, she’s out of luck because funding has run dry.
Oklahoma Human Services knows that SNAP benefits are critical to keeping food on the table for our state’s families. Although the federal government had repeatedly extended the deadline for SNAP recipients to apply for replacement of stolen benefits, this deadline was not extended with the last budget bill, and SNAP replacement officially ended on Dec. 20.
Oklahoma Department of Health and Human Services