You may qualify for replacement cash benefits, if all of the following are true: 

• Your benefits were issued by the NYC Department of Social Services (DSS). (If outside of NYC, contact your local social services department.)
• Your benefits were stolen through an electronic scam, such as skimming or phone scams.
• The theft took place on or after January 1, 2022.

You can still file a claim even if your Cash Assistance case is closed.

You must provide your:

• Client Identification Number (CIN)
• Case number
• Current mailing address
• Detailed information about each fraudulent transaction

The claim process does not require an eligibility interview.

Before you submit a claim for replacement benefits, you must:

• Report your EBT card as stolen to EBT customer service, even if the card itself wasn’t stolen. If you’ve already done this, you don’t need to report it again.
• Get your EBT account history before you start filling out the claim form. You’ll need to provide details about each fraudulent transaction.

Learn how to report a stolen EBT card and get your account history on the EBT Card Assistance page.

Submit a Claim Online

The fastest and easiest way to submit your claim is online. 

Submit a claim for the replacement of cash benefits that were issued by DSS.

Submit a Paper Application

You are strongly encouraged to submit your claim online. If you prefer to submit a paper claim form, you can get it in three ways:

1. Download and print a form.
2. Pick up the form from any Benefits Access Center.
3. Request an application by phone.

The Department of Social Services (DSS) will notify you by mail if your claim was approved or denied.

It can take up to 30 days to process your claim and issue replacement benefits (if eligible). If it’s been more than 30 days since you submitted your claim, you can check the status by phone.

If your claim is approved, your cash benefits may be partially or entirely replaced.

The replacement amount will be whichever is lower:

• The amount of cash benefits that were stolen
• Two times the amount you received in your last full month of cash benefits before they were stolen

If the benefits were stolen after September 30, 2024, only one replacement of cash benefits can be issued during the current federal fiscal year (October 1 through September 30).

Electronic benefit theft can include skimming, cloning, and phishing.

Skimming is when someone puts an overlay on a store’s card-swiping machine to copy EBT, credit, and debit card account information. The stolen information is used to make fake cards called “clones.” The scammers will then steal money from your accounts.

Skimming can happen anywhere you swipe your EBT card. Your benefits can be stolen through skimming even if you always have possession of your EBT card.

Phishing is when thieves trick people into clicking on a link that allows them to access your account information. This usually happens through text or email.

Learn more about EBT scams.