The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has taken new measures to reduce misuse of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamp fraud. According to Under Secretary Kevin Concannon, the agency has proposed a rule to give states more flexibility to investigate multiple requests for replacement SNAP cards.
“There are many legitimate reasons for replacing cards, and the vast majority of recipients follow the rules,” said Concannon, under secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services. “But we are concerned that a few bad actors are using replacement cards to exchange SNAP benefits for cash, commonly referred to as trafficking.”
States will have the option of investigating when more than four prior requests have been submitted in a 12-month period. Then, state officials will determine if the requests are legitimate or SNAP fraud.
“We are committed to meeting the highest standards of accountability when it comes to protecting taxpayer dollars and enhancing the integrity of SNAP,” Concannon said. “Americans continue to support helping struggling families put food on the table, but they want to know that taxpayer dollars are being spent wisely.”