Consumer Alert:
Attorney General James Warns New Yorkers of Businesses Unlawfully Refusing SNAP Benefits

NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today issued a consumer alert informing New Yorkers who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits of their rights and warning them about businesses that have recently refused to accept SNAP benefits in their stores. As the federal administration continues to threaten SNAP benefits for November, grocery stores and other businesses in New York that are enrolled in the program have unlawfully prevented consumers from paying for food with their existing SNAP balances. Attorney General James today sent cease-and-desist letters to grocery stores that have denied New Yorkers the ability to use their remaining SNAP benefits to pay for food, and is encouraging consumers to file complaints with her office about any business that is an approved SNAP retailer and refuses to honor consumers’ benefits.

“New Yorkers must be able to use their existing SNAP benefits – or food stamps – at any business that is part of the program,” said Attorney General James. “Refusing to accept New Yorkers’ remaining SNAP balances puts already vulnerable New York families in greater danger of going hungry. While the federal administration continues to play political games, my office is taking action to ensure New Yorkers who receive SNAP can put food on the table.”

New Yorkers enrolled in SNAP receive their benefits on an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card that allows them to pay for food at any business that has agreed to participate in the program. Current federal guidance states that consumers may continue to redeem the existing balance issued to their EBT card at any SNAP authorized retailer. The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) was recently made aware of grocery stores that are unlawfully refusing to honor New Yorkers’ existing EBT balances, denying them the ability to purchase food with SNAP benefits. If New Yorkers are wrongfully denied the ability to use their EBT cards to purchase food when they have a balance remaining, they should take the following steps:

• Tell store staff, “I have a balance on my EBT card and I am able to use it.”
• File a complaint with OAG identifying the business where they were denied.  

Attorney General James also sent cease-and-desist letters to grocery chains ShopRite and Hannaford informing them of their obligation to accept SNAP benefits after receiving reports of shoppers being denied the ability to pay with EBT cards. Both ShopRite and Hannaford are approved SNAP retailers who previously accepted EBT payments.

Children and seniors make up nearly 60 percent of all SNAP recipients, and well over a million veterans receive SNAP benefits each year. In New York alone, SNAP serves nearly three million people, including nearly one million children and over 600,000 older adults. Approximately seven percent of New York SNAP recipients are disabled. This past year, New Yorkers received approximately $650 million in SNAP benefits each month.

On September 28, Attorney General James and a coalition of 25 other attorneys general and governors sued the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) after the agency announced that it would suspend November SNAP benefits because of the federal government shutdown, jeopardizing food assistance for more than 40 million people nationwide. On October 31, Attorney General James and the coalition won a court order requiring the federal government to use contingency funds to partially fund SNAP. On November 6, a federal judge ruled the administration must fully fund SNAP benefits nationwide.