With 24 grandkids, four daughters, and stepchildren, Mary Diaz has a big family. She stresses how important Christmas is in her home. In the past, she has traditionally made a big meal with two hams and a turkey to celebrate the holiday.
Lexington Mother’s Christmas Dinner in Jeopardy After Alleged Theft of SNAP Benefits (Photo: 3AW)
Mary Diaz’s Struggle and Wider Impact on Food Aid Programs
Mary Diaz, who gets SNAP benefits, is worried about how she will feed her big family this Christmas. She found out that over $300 in benefits had been stolen while she was shopping at Walmart with her sick child.
Due to the incident, her card was denied at the self-checkout. She later learned that the benefits were used in New York, a place she had never been. Even though Diaz told the food stamp office about the theft, she isn’t sure how to get the stolen benefits back. Scripps News just put out a poll that found more than $70 million was stolen from 46 state food aid programs. It was taken in Kentucky for $340,310.
Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act in December 2022, according to the USDA. This law lets state agencies use federal funds to replace SNAP benefits that have been stolen. By October 2023, the Food and Nutrition Service had approved plans for states to do this and made it public that reports of stolen data were being tracked.
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Mary Diaz’s Resilience and Safety Tips for Others
Since August 10, the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services has received 1,100 theft allegations worth $546,000. Despite losing her SNAP benefits, Mary Diaz wants to make the holidays special for her daughter, who loves cooking. She expects a replacement card, but benefits may not start until January.
After experiencing the hardship, Diaz advises others to use complex PINs, keep them private, avoid phishing, change PINs often, check accounts, and report suspected theft to the SNAP office. Diaz wishes everyone a Merry Christmas and hopes those in similar situations can cope.
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