The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which oversees the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), is working on a major overhaul to root out waste, fraud, and abuse, FOX News reported.
Last month, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said 186,000 deceased men and women and children are receiving SNAP benefits and there are 356,000 duplicate enrollments. She also told FOX Business that about 500,000 people were collecting SNAP assistance in more than one state. However, NPR reported that the USDA “has not presented data that backs up these statistics, which makes it hard to evaluate their significance.”
Rollins told FOX Business that the proposed changes will “make sure those vulnerable Americans who really need that benefit are going to get it. And for all the rest of the fraudsters and the people who are corrupt and taking advantage of it — we’re going to protect the taxpayer, too.”
Structural changes to the program are to be released this week, she said.
FOX News reported that beginning December 1, the USDA is requiring participants to reapply for benefits to prevent fraud. However, a statement from the agency indicates that it plans to use existing recertification protocols.
“Secretary Rollins wants to ensure the fraud, waste, and incessant abuse of SNAP ends. Rates of fraud were only previously assumed, and President Trump is doing something about it,” reads a statement from a USDA spokesperson. “Using standard recertification processes for households is a part of that work. As well as ongoing analysis of state data, further regulatory work, and improved collaboration with states.”
The program’s initial qualification changes began September 1. Those changes included recipients working, volunteering, or training 80 hours per month to be eligible. The Congressional Budget Office said the new requirements will reduce the average monthly number of SNAP recipients by about 2.4 million over the next 10 years.
According to FOX News, the USDA said in the accounting year that ended in September 2024, SNAP cost just over $100 billion and provided an average of $190.59 a month per person to over 42 million people. The average monthly benefit per household is $356.21.
On Monday morning, Rollins posted to X, “At @POTUS’ direction we will be reviewing ALL @USDA PROGRAMS to ensure only legal citizens are receiving benefits. Earlier this year, USDA put states on notice reminding them illegal immigrants and certain non-citizens CAN NOT receive SNAP benefits.”
In related news, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent posted Friday on X.com that his department will block illegal immigrants from accessing other federal benefits as well. From FOX Business:
Bessent said his department will issue proposed regulations clarifying that the refunded portions of certain individual income tax benefits are no longer available to illegal and other non-qualified aliens, including the Earned Income Tax Credit, the Additional Child Tax Credit, the American Opportunity Tax Credit and the Saver’s Match Credit.
For more on SNAP benefits in Pennsylvania, you can click here.
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