USDA Planning to Overhaul SNAP Program
Is SNAP as we know it coming to an end? According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the program will be significantly changed in an effort to eliminate fraud and corruption. Here is what you need to know about the future of this crucial aid program.
USDA Signals Major Changes to SNAP Program
USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins is looking to "completely deconstruct" the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The USDA recently confirmed to reporters that Rollins wants to make changes to end the abuse of the program. The agency is planning to use a recertification process for households to verify eligibility. The USDA will also work more closely with the individual states to ensure compliance.
SNAP supports approximately 42 million low-income households throughout the country. The program provides assistance to pay for groceries every month.
The SNAP program was thrust into the limelight during the recent historic government shutdown. The shutdown lasted for 43 days, making it the longest in U.S. history. Many households did not receive their benefits in November, throwing millions of Americans into food insecurity. Several states were able to draw upon their own resources to provide benefits to their residents; however, some of the most vulnerable American families and children were left without this critical assistance.
The comments by Rollins about the overhaul came at the same time that the federal government announced two significant changes to the SNAP program. The first change involves a work requirement that was outlined in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. This change could result in millions of families being cut from the program. The other change would require recipients to reapply for benefits, meaning that those who are deemed to be no longer eligible would be dropped from the aid.
Reasons Behind the Proposed SNAP Changes
Rollins told Fox Business' Larry Kudlow on Tuesday that the government data indicates that 186,000 dead people are currently receiving SNAP benefits. She said that data also indicates that another 500,000 people are double-dipping by receiving the SNAP benefits in more than one state.
Fox Business reported that data from the USDA demonstrates that there were over 226,000 fraudulent benefit claims and 691,000 fraudulent transactions that received approval over the first quarter of the year. The USDA defines fraudulent transactions as when SNAP-receiving households do not authorize claims due to electronic theft, such as card cloning. The agency reports that the fraudulent claims ended up costing the U.S. government over $102 million in the first quarter of this year. This figure was much higher than the $69.4 million amount reported in the previous quarter, as well as the $31.9 million during the same period in 2024.
Rollins said that the USDA has made "hundreds of arrests" in relation to the fraudulent SNAP claims. She is also putting the blame on the Democrats, saying that the crackdown on benefit fraud and eligibility was a consequence of the government shutdown. Rollins said that the shutdown allowed the USDA to examine this "pet program" of the Democrats, giving Republicans the justification to dismantle the entire SNAP program.
Rollins went on to say that the changes to SNAP will ensure that the most needy Americans will receive the benefits while removing the waste from the "fraudsters and the people who are corrupt and taking advantage of it." President Donald Trump echoed these sentiments recently, noting that the SNAP program was not intended for people who just do not want to work.
It is still unclear how the Trump administration or the USDA will implement these sweeping changes to SNAP.
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