USDA Secretary Says All SNAP Recipients Must Reapply, Dubiously Citing Fraud

"Last week, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins announced that she plans to force the millions of low-income recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps, to reapply for the program. In comments to Newsmax, Rollins claimed a reapplication process was needed to "make sure that everyone that's taking a taxpayer-funded benefit through ... food stamps, that they literally are vulnerable and they can't survive without it.""

"The news comes just weeks after the Trump administration announced that, during the government shutdown, it would not provide SNAP benefits to those reliant on the program, citing a lack of funding. However, as a federal judge pointed out at the time, billions of dollars in an emergency reserve fund for the program were readily available, as well as funds from other programs that could be transferred to SNAP."

"Rollins further claimed the program was "corrupt," citing instances of supposed fraud that were uncovered in an audit of Republican-run states. "Can you imagine when we get our hands on the blue state data what we're going to find?" she added. But many of the examples Rollins cited don't actually constitute fraud - possibly including her claim that 186,000 "deceased men and women and children" are still "receiving a check" from SNAP. (The program doesn't issue checks but rather EBT cards)."

USDA plans to require millions of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients to reapply to verify vulnerability and continued eligibility. Reapplication is framed as a measure to ensure taxpayer-funded benefits reach those who cannot survive without assistance. SNAP benefits were not distributed on time during a recent government shutdown after administration officials cited lack of funding, even though federal emergency reserve funds and transferrable funds were available. That interruption broke precedent of continuing benefits during shutdowns. The USDA characterized the program as corrupt, citing audit findings in Republican-run states, though several cited examples do not meet legal definitions of fraud and involve misunderstandings about EBT distribution.

Read at Truthout