Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has announced impending changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which currently serves approximately 42 million Americans. Rollins indicated that the attention garnered during a recent government shutdown provided an opportunity to reassess the program, with structural details expected soon.
Rollins has advocated for program modifications, citing findings of "massive fraud" based on state data requested by her agency. She has presented statistics alleging misconduct without providing detailed underlying data. These proposed changes follow recent congressional actions that implemented significant cuts to SNAP benefits through new work requirements and eligibility rules.
In a recent interview, Rollins stated the objective of these changes is to ensure benefits reach "vulnerable Americans" while protecting taxpayers from "fraudsters and corrupt individuals."
Food policy experts have expressed concerns regarding Rollins' statements, suggesting they may overstate the prevalence of fraud among SNAP recipients and could conflate fraud with various payment errors. Stacy Dean, executive director of George Washington University's Global Food Institute, stated that this narrative risks misrepresenting the program and negatively impacting recipients.
Initial comments from Rollins suggesting a new reapplication process for all SNAP recipients caused confusion among beneficiaries, state officials, and experts. SNAP recipients typically undergo recertification every six or 12 months. Democratic U.S. senators requested clarification, highlighting existing program cuts and uncertainty from halted payments during the shutdown. The USDA has since clarified that it intends to utilize existing recertification protocols, not implement entirely new application processes. A USDA spokesperson affirmed the department's goal to end "fraud, waste, and incessant abuse" using standard recertification, state data analysis, regulatory work, and state collaboration.
Data Allegations and Responses
Earlier this year, the USDA requested personal data of SNAP recipients from states. Most Democratic-led states declined, and a federal judge in San Francisco blocked the USDA from withholding funding from non-compliant states, ruling the data demand likely unlawful. Twenty-eight states and Guam did provide data.
Rollins has cited statistics from this data in recent media appearances. She reported 186,000 deceased individuals receiving benefits and 500,000 Americans receiving benefits twice. She also mentioned over 120 arrests for SNAP fraud. Rollins stated that these figures do not include 'blue states' where she believes more fraud exists, and noted a 40% increase in SNAP benefits under the 'last administration,' indicating a need for 'right-sizing.'
The USDA has not publicly presented data to corroborate these specific statistics. Food policy experts point out that some deceased individuals may remain on the program temporarily due to verification processes, with households typically required to repay erroneous benefits. Regarding double payments, legitimate reasons can exist, such as supplemental payments issued to correct errors.
Clarification on the '40% increase' in SNAP benefits has also been sought from the USDA. Department data indicates that SNAP payments expanded by approximately 40% in April 2020 due to the pandemic, during the Trump administration. Lauren Bauer of the Brookings Institution found that during the Trump presidency, benefit costs increased by over 30%, while they decreased by almost 17% during the Biden administration. Bauer attributes these dynamics more to the business cycle than specific presidencies.
Future Policy Directions
A draft regulation submitted by the USDA to the Office of Management and Budget last month suggests a potential change: narrowing 'broad-based categorical eligibility' for SNAP. This rule is currently used by over 40 states to allow welfare recipients to receive SNAP.
Researchers at the American Enterprise Institute have argued for ending this eligibility rule, noting that it allows individuals with incomes above the statutory SNAP limit to receive benefits. They also cautioned that any changes must address 'benefit cliffs' to prevent disincentivizing increased earnings. Katie Bergh, a senior policy analyst at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, estimates that such a policy change could result in nearly 6 million people losing SNAP benefits.