186,000 Fraud Claims Prompt USDA to Require All SNAP Beneficiaries to Reapply
The federal government is undertaking one of the largest integrity reviews in the history of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). After uncovering widespread irregularities across participating states, the USDA now requires every SNAP beneficiary to reapply for support. The move follows new data showing that fraud and improper payments have reached levels that federal officials say can no longer be ignored.
A National Food Program Under Review
SNAP is designed to help low-income households cover the cost of groceries, supporting more than 40 million Americans each month. Federal spending on the program reached nearly $100 billion last year, reflecting both its scale and its importance. Officials say this makes strict oversight essential to ensure aid reaches those who qualify.
What Triggered the Fraud Investigation
Shortly after taking office, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins ordered states to submit updated eligibility data for all SNAP recipients. Only 29 states complied, but even that partial dataset revealed significant inconsistencies. According to the USDA, existing oversight systems were not equipped to detect the full scope of errors the new review uncovered.
The 186,000 Cases That Sparked Action
Federal officials found that 186,000 people listed as deceased were still receiving SNAP benefits. In an interview by Newsmax, Rollins described this as “one of the clearest indicators that systemic reform was overdue”. She added that these findings come from red-state data alone, suggesting the final number may climb once all states are reviewed.
Duplicate and Multi-State Payments
Investigators also found more than 500,000 individuals receiving SNAP benefits in more than one state. In one case, a person used the same Social Security number to obtain six EBT cards across six states. These examples underscored what the USDA called gaps in identity verification and cross-state coordination.
Electronic Theft and Unauthorized Transactions
The fraud review uncovered more than 691,000 unauthorized or fraudulent SNAP transactions. Officials linked many of them to card skimming, cloning, and other electronic theft methods that drained benefits without households’ knowledge. Stolen benefits cost the government over $102 million in just the first quarter of fiscal year 2025, nearly triple the amount from the same period a year earlier.
A Broader Pattern Emerges
When investigators combined duplicate accounts, deceased beneficiaries, and electronic theft, a larger pattern of administrative vulnerabilities emerged. Rollins emphasized that many of these issues persisted for years because earlier systems lacked the tools to detect them. The new data-matching protocols revealed weaknesses that had long gone unaddressed.
Full Nationwide Reapplication
As these findings came into view, the USDA announced a sweeping policy shift: every SNAP recipient nationwide must reapply to continue receiving benefits. The reapplication process allows administrators to verify eligibility, confirm income levels, and remove beneficiaries who no longer qualify or are not legitimate. Rollins said the goal is to protect vulnerable families by ensuring assistance goes where it is truly needed.
What the Crackdown Means for States and Households
States must now share updated beneficiary data and adopt stricter oversight practices. The USDA has already removed roughly 700,000 individuals from SNAP and made dozens of fraud-related arrests. For eligible households, the agency says reapplication is not meant to disrupt support but to reinforce the program’s long-term stability.
Why Oversight Matters for the Future of SNAP
Officials argue that rooting out fraud is essential for maintaining public trust in food assistance programs. With one in eight Americans relying on SNAP, even small rates of mismanagement can ripple across communities. The administration says the current reforms aim to preserve the program as a reliable safety net during periods of economic strain.
