During the recent government shutdown, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) (also known as food stamps) ran out of funding.
The topic has caught the attention of conservative analysts, who say it’s a perfect opportunity for the Trump administration to cut waste and fraud within the program.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), approximately 42 million Americans use food stamps, costing taxpayers $100 billion in 2024.
Now the USDA is trying to uncover fraud by forcing all food stamp recipients to reapply.
The White House says the measure will focus on the poor and eliminate fraud among people who can work and don’t need to rely on government programs to make a living.
Examples of food stamp fraud include individuals who intentionally lie about their SNAP benefits and individuals who sell EBT cards for cash.
“There are 186,000 deceased men, women, and children who received checks through the SNAP program,” the USDA said.
Last year, The Florida Daily reported on a new study by the Committee to Unleash Prosperity showing that inflation-adjusted food stamp spending increased 60% from 2019 and tripled in real terms from pre-Obama administration levels.
The report also detailed that more than 62% of food stamp recipients (using USDA’s own numbers) choose not to work, even though they are of working age and able-bodied.
In 2001, 17.3 million people enrolled in the food stamp program. As of 2023, that number has ballooned to just over 42. The cost to taxpayers jumped from $31 billion (adjusted for inflation) to $135 billion.
The federal government continues to make what it calls “improper payments” to individuals on food stamps.
USDA reported more than $45.75 billion in improper payments from fiscal year 2003 to fiscal year 2022.
Economist Steve Moore said the government allowed people to go on welfare in 2020 when businesses closed due to the coronavirus outbreak, but had not yet removed them from the rolls.
