PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — Thousands of Illinoisans with compromised Link Cards are unable to access their SNAP benefits and say the state is not doing much to help.
Illinois Department of Health Services spokesperson Daisy Contreras confirmed to WMBD on Thursday that multiple skimming devices were found on ATMs and card readers in Peoria. Criminals use those devices to capture card information.
IDHS is taking action to deactivate and replace cards as skimmers are identified. But for those who depend on SNAP benefits, help is not coming fast enough or with any sense of urgency.
Lashawnda Leas said she waited in line at IDHS in downtown Peoria for two hours on Friday to get a replacement Link Card. But once the clock hit 5 o’clock, she said the door was essentially slammed in her face. She was the next one in line.
"I’m next, you couldn’t get my card… They are wrong and something needs to be done about it. We’re hungry and it’s ridiculous, it’s not our fault," she said.
Without access to those funds, Leas doesn’t know where her next meal will come from. She said instead of helping her get a replacement card, the IDHS worker told her to rely on pantries.
"I feel like they were working against me… This is not helping, I’m hungry," she said.
If your EBT account was hacked, IDHS recommends filing a replacement claim. As of now, the EBT benefit replacement program does not provide replacements of cash benefits, but cardholders might qualify for relief through the state’s Crisis Assistance Program.
The EBT system itself is safe and has not been hacked, according to IDHS.
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