Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced upcoming SNAP rule changes USDA plans to roll out soon. She pointed to fraud that has let benefits go to over 186,000 deceased recipients. “It’s unbelievable,” Rollins said in a recent interview. Calling for a full rebuild to make sure aid reaches only those who truly need it.
SNAP stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. People often call it food stamps. It helps low-income Americans buy groceries each month. The program matters because it supports about 42 million people.
That’s one in eight Americans. Benefits average $291 per person. SNAP keeps families from going hungry during tough times like job loss or high food prices.
Rollins made her fraud claims based on data from 29 states. Most are Republican-led. She said the review found 186,000 dead people still getting checks. It also uncovered 500,000 cases of people getting benefits twice under the same name.
Plus, some EBT cards used like debit cards for food had balances over $10,000 or sat unused for years.
She called SNAP “bloated, broken, and corrupt.” Rollins said the Trump administration has already removed about 700,000 people from the rolls. They arrested 118 for fraud. “Business as usual is over,” she told Fox Business.
The scope of the problem is huge, per Rollins. SNAP costs taxpayers over $120 billion a year. She said fraud wastes money that could help real families. The claims came during a government shutdown that delayed benefits. That spotlighted the program. Now, the USDA wants major reforms.
One big one: Make all recipients reapply for benefits. This would verify everyone’s eligibility. Only the truly vulnerable would stay on, Rollins said. “We will completely deconstruct this program,” she added
Other proposed SNAP benefits overhaul ideas include tougher work rules. Able-bodied adults without kids must work or train 80 hours a month. The age limit rises to 65. States must pay more for admin costs up to 75%. The program ends grants for nutrition education after 2025.
These come from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025. Signed in July, it cuts SNAP spending by $186 billion over 10 years. It also lets states ban junk food like soda from SNAP buys. The goal: Promote healthy eating and cut chronic diseases.
USDA data shows some past concerns. Audits found fraud rates around 1-2%. That’s low for such a big program. But errors happen, like not updating records when someone dies. States handle most day-to-day checks. The USDA oversees them.
Prior oversight flagged issues too. In 2020, benefits rose during the pandemic. Costs went up 30% under Trump, then fell 17% under Biden. But Rollins claims a 40% hike under Biden. Experts like Lauren Bauer at Brookings could not confirm that.
Critics push back hard on Rollins fraud claims. Anti-hunger groups say the numbers mislead. “These are normal glitches in a huge system,” said Lisa Reynolds from the Food Research & Action Center. She worries reapplying will burden families. Many eligible people might drop off due to paperwork.
Policy experts agree. Tracy Roof, a political scientist at the University of Richmond, noted Rollins did not explain how she got her numbers. “We need the data,” Roof said. Without it, claims are hard to check.Advocates fear cuts hit the vulnerable most.
Seniors, disabled people, and rural folks could lose out. “This risks mass confusion,” Reynolds added. States are not ready for quick changes.
On the other side, supporters like Rep. Wesley Hunt back the moves. “Taxpayers are being taken advantage of,” he wrote to Rollins. They say reforms save money and fix waste. The USDA has not shared full data yet. It sent letters to non-compliant states for more info. A full plan comes soon. But lawsuits challenge data demands.
Food stamps reform 2025 could change SNAP a lot. It aims to root out abuse. But it might make getting help harder for those who need it. Watch for more details as rules take shape.
