Millions of Americans who rely on SNAP benefits each months to cover grocery costs, may soon have to reapply to get the benefits.
In an interview with Fox Business, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said that that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP) participants will need to reapply for benefits in an effort to prevent fraud.
"SNAP is a broken program. SNAP is full of corruption," she told CNN.
SNAP provides monthly benefits — averaging around $190 per person — to about 42 million people nationwide.
The move may put the recipients in a situation as many people did not get their November benefits due to the longest US government shutdown, forcing families to stand in queues to get aid for other organisations.
Rollins claimed that 186,000 deceased men and women are receiving benefits and 500,000 people receiving SNAP benefits twice under the same name.
"The Democrat shutdown has given us a platform to completely deconstruct the [SNAP] program, make sure those vulnerable American who really need that that benefit are going to get it... protect the taxpayer, too," Rollins told Fox added.
Data from the Department of Agriculture (USDA) indicates that more than 226,000 fraudulent benefit claims and more than 691,000 fraudulent transactions received approval, reported Fox News.
“Data from just 29 states uncovered nearly 200,000 people with dead people’s social security numbers… Meanwhile, 21 states are suing to keep their data hidden. Why block transparency unless the truth is worse than the headlines?,” asked Rollins in a post on X.
Stating that it’s time to clean up SNAP, the Agriculture Secretary said,
“This is exactly what happens when a massive program runs on outdated lists and zero accountability.”
Rollins claimed that 40% increase in recipients happened under the Biden Administration.
Earlier last month, Rollins said that the investigators found thousands and thousands of illegal uses of the electronic benefits transfer (EBT) card.
However, it remains unclear when the process to reapply will begin.
An Agriculture Department spokesperson didn't clarify but instead said in a statement that the standard recertification processes for households is part of a plan to eliminate fraud, abuse and waste, reported AP.
