11.18.25
“New SNAP Card Rules To Protect Taxpayers’ Dollars”
From Donna Garner
[Comments from Donna Garner: I am always very glad for those who really need our federal tax dollars to receive them.
However, what none of us taxpayers want to see is people who are illegally scamming the system for their own ill-begotten means.
I am very appreciative that attorney and U. S. Sect. of Agriculture Brooke Rollins is making sure that our taxpayer-funded food cards – SNAP – are going to those who legitimately meet the requirements.]
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11.17.25 – “Protecting Our Tax Dollars: Food Stamps” – by Gary Bauer -- Campaign for Working Families -- Excerpts from this article: https://mailchi.mp/cwfpac.com/eodarchive-13954347?e=c48915f4fc
The Trump administration recently announced that food stamp benefits will not be automatically renewed.
All food stamp recipients will have to reapply for their benefits.
The screams from Democrats and their fake news media allies will start anytime now about how women and children are suffering.
But here’s why the administration is taking this responsible step.
SNAP BENEFITS RIFE WITH FRAUD
Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins asked the states to provide information about who is getting food stamps so the Trump administration could audit the program.
Only 29 states, mostly “Red” states, complied with her request.
What she found was shocking: More than 180,000 dead people are getting food stamps, and 500,000 people are getting paid twice.
Rollins added, “But here’s the really stunning thing: This is just data from those 29 mostly red states. Can you imagine when we get our hands on the blue state data what we’re going to find?”
This is exactly what needs to be done when the government is handing out free benefits.
It is exactly what you would expect any conservative administration to do.
This is not a minor issue. The food stamp program is rife with fraud.
Some people either sell their food stamps for cash or exchange them for drugs.
We owe it to productive, hard-working Americans to ensure that the taxes being deducted from their paychecks are being used wisely and not encouraging more poverty and dependence.
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11.18.25 – “Will SNAP Recipients Need To Reapply? Here’s What We Know.” By Mary Walrath-Holdridge – USA Today -- https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/11/17/will-snap-recipients-need-to-reapply-access-benefits/87317816007/
The nearly 42 million low-income Americans on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will have to reapply for benefits under a planned overhaul of the program in an effort to cut down on “fraud,” Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins told news outlets…
Rollins said SNAP, meant to be a nutrition lifeline for financially struggling households..
“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.”
…Fraud happens in three primary ways, according to the USDA: (1) applicants misrepresenting income or identity, (2) retailers trading benefits for cash or unapproved items, or (3) criminals stealing benefits by scanning or cloning EBT cards.
SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, provides cash cards known as Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) to approximately 12% of Americans for a limited time to help purchase basic food items…
…To qualify, households must be at or below 130% of the poverty line, meaning they make up to 30% more than the federal poverty guideline, which in 2025 was $15,650 for a single person, $26,650 for a three-person household, and $37,650 for a five-person household.
A one-person household had a maximum monthly allotment of $298 in 2025, while a three-person household could get a maximum of $785 and a five-person household could receive $1,183, according to the USDA.
There are special additional rules for households with elderly or disabled members…
The process [of applying] can sometimes be done online, depending on the state.
…it entails completing an online application and submitting pertinent documents such as proof of identity and citizenship, proof of residence, proof of income and household expenses, medical expenses, and the like.
Applicants must then complete an eligibility interview, wait for state verification, and then wait for a decision from the state, which typically takes about 30 days…
Recertifying is an abbreviated version of this process, focusing on confirming current eligibility and updating information already in the system.
Typically, recipients complete a shorter form, submit fresh documentation of household status and any changes, and, in some states, complete another brief interview.
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List of states with an approved SNAP Food Restriction Waiver such as unhealthy drinks, candy, prepared desserts, etc: https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/waivers/foodrestriction
HOW THE SNAP CARDS ARE SUPPOSED TO WORK
5.29.25 – “USDA Employee And Five Others Charged In Multimillion-Dollar Food Stamp Fraud And Bribery Scheme” -- https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/usda-employee-and-five-others-charged-multimillion-dollar-food-stamp-fraud-and-bribery
The SNAP program uses federal tax dollars to help low-income households purchase food.
SNAP recipients use Electronic Benefit Transfer (“EBT”) cards—similar to debit cards—to buy food at participating stores.
Those stores, which get license numbers from the USDA, use special EBT terminals to swipe the EBT cards.
When a SNAP recipient swipes their EBT card, the system verifies the transaction and electronically deducts the purchase amount from the recipient’s account.
The corresponding federal funds are then transferred to the store’s bank account.
HOW CHEATERS HAVE OPERATED
Starting in 2019, KEHOE [charged in the SNAP cheating scandal] orchestrated a network that supplied approximately 160 unauthorized EBT terminals to stores across the New York area to illegally process more than $30 million in EBT transactions.
SNAP CARDS MISUSED FOR DRUGS
11.14.25 – “Mike’s Market Workers Let People with EBT Cards Get Cash, Then Sold Them Drugs: DA” -- City News Service -- https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/mikes-market-workers-let-people-with-ebt-cards-get-cash-then-sold-them-drugs-da/3931700/
Employees partnered with gangs to facilitate drug sales, which were funded through more than $2 million in food assistance benefit fraud taking place at the store, officals said.
Police and prosecutors said employees at Mike's Market on Ocean View Boulevard [San Diego, CA] were working directly with gang members to facilitate drug sales, which were funded through more than $2 million in food assistance benefit fraud taking place at the store.
Store employees allowed customers to unlawfully use their EBT cards to receive cash, then use the cash to buy drugs, prosecutors said.
WORK REQUIREMENTS DO APPLY TO SNAP RECIPIENTS
The work requirements in One, Big, Beautiful Act passed by Congress on 7.4.25 -- DO APPLY TO SNAP RECIPIENTS -- https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1
- Yes, new work requirements will apply to many SNAP recipients, including most able-bodied adults between 18 and 64, and previously exempt groups like veterans, people experiencing homelessness, and those who aged out of foster care. To avoid losing benefits after three months, these individuals must meet weekly or monthly requirements, such as working at least 20 hours per week or 80 hours per month. The exemptions for parents have also been narrowed, now only applying if the dependent child is under 14…
- Work: Be employed at least 20 hours per week or 80 hours per month.
- Participate in a program: Join a work program, training, or education program for at least 20 hours per week or 80 hours per month.