Two more states have entered the chip-enabled electronic benefit transfer card (EBT) fray.
CBS Local Philadelphia reports that Keystone State officials intend to roll out these new cards for those within the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) thanks to recently secured funding. New York State confirmed the same.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced via press release that these new EBT cards will be issued beginning in early 2027. SNAP recipients in Pennsylvania should expect to receive theirs next year, too, in the spring.
EBT cards are debit cards that distribute SNAP benefits directly to recipients. However, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) explains that these cards aren’t required to contain the microchips found in your standard commercial debit card, leaving recipients wide open to theft.
The GAO estimates that more than $320 million in benefits were stolen across the United States between Oct. 2022 and Dec. 2024, although the exact amount is difficult to pinpoint.
Eight states have already issued these chip-enabled EBT cards, the latest being Jersey and Virginia. According to Newsweek, Maine, Arkansas, New Mexico and Oregon are currently working to do the same.
Any SNAP recipient who’s received the cards is encouraged to activate them — which one can typically do simply by using the card — as soon as they can; their old card will then automatically deactivate.
“When SNAP benefits are stolen, families are not simply losing money — they are losing the ability to purchase groceries and put meals on the table,” says Pennsylvania House Appropriations Committee Majority Chairman Jordan A. Harris via statement.
“By investing $7 million in chip-enabled EBT cards, Pennsylvania is taking a practical step to protect families, strengthen the security of our public benefits system, and ensure these critical resources reach the people they are intended to serve.”
