Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
- Online thieves target temporary assistance for needy families benefits, leaving Utah families without crucial funds.
- Kady Doyle's $945 TANF benefits were stolen, impacting her ability to pay bills.
- The Utah Department of Workforce Services advises TANF recipients to lock accounts to prevent theft while it works on long-term solutions.
SALT LAKE CITY — Some Utah families are facing a nightmare scenario as their benefits are stolen before they can even claim them.
KSL has reported extensively on food stamp theft perpetrated by online hackers. But there's another benefit for low-income families that's also in the crosshairs of thieves.
That benefit is known as TANF, which stands for temporary assistance for needy families. It's a federal benefit administered by the state that helps low-income Utahns pay for rent, utilities and other things.
It's also very easy to steal, as Kady Doyle found out.
"It's been a hard month," said Doyle, who lives in Midvale. "A really long, hard month."
Earlier this month, Doyle went to the bank to pull out her TANF benefits but got a shock.
"My card declined," she said. "I checked my balance, and it was wiped out."
The $945 she was counting on to help pay her bills was gone. She never got it back.
"TANF is our only hope, and it got taken from us," said Doyle, tearing up.
She noted her husband is disabled, and she's in school, so this money is a lifeline for her family.
"A lot of my bills have just went past due. I'm behind on my car payment," Doyle said.
Becky Wickstrom, spokesperson for the Utah Department of Workforce Services, said around 3,000 households in Utah receive TANF benefits. She said the state has received reports similar to Doyle's "a couple of times," although not on a "widespread scale."
However, it's the same thing that's been happening with food stamps as online hackers have targeted those benefits. Last month, KSL reported that the state came up with a temporary fix allowing recipients to lock their benefit cards when they're not buying food.
But Wickstrom said TANF, which is basically a cash benefit, is different.
"Those benefits can still be vulnerable to theft," she said.
To prevent theft, Wickstrom said families who receive TANF benefits should keep their accounts locked — with a zero balance — at all times until they're ready to go to the bank to get their money. Then, unlock the account, let the funds populate, and withdraw them.
Finally, Wickstrom added, re-lock the account once that balance is zero again.
"This is sort of a temporary fix while we work towards other long-term security measures," Wickstrom said.
There's no word on when a more permanent solution will be available. The state has to work with the federal government on that. But Doyle hopes something will change to help keep that critical money in her own hands.
"I can't go another month having my benefits stolen," she said.
