Last week, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins announced that every current recipient of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits—formerly known as food stamps—must reapply in a one-time nationwide process. The requirement will affect approximately 42 million Americans who rely on the program for food assistance. Administration officials have stated that the goal is to reduce fraud and ensure benefits reach only those truly eligible.
During an interview on Fox Business “Mornings with Maria,” Secretary Rollins described the current SNAP system as “rife with fraud.” She said 186,000 deceased individuals remain on the rolls in the 29 states that have reported data so far, and hundreds of thousands of people have received benefits in multiple states.
USDA’s own most recent comprehensive study of benefits trafficking—the illegal sale of SNAP benefits for cash—covered the years 2015–2017 and found the practice affected 1.6 percent of all benefits issued, or roughly $1 billion annually at that time. The department has consistently stated that intentional recipient fraud, such as lying about income or household size, remains rare.
Other problems have grown significantly, however. Criminals increasingly skim EBT cards or steal account information, draining benefits that were properly issued. USDA data show at least $136 million in benefits were stolen nationwide in the first quarter of 2025 alone, and officials believe the actual figure is considerably higher due to underreporting.
Detailed instructions for the mass re-enrollment have not yet been released, but the USDA has said guidance will arrive in the coming weeks. Recipients should watch for official notices from their state SNAP agency. The new requirement comes as provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 take effect, including expanded work requirements for able-bodied adults and stricter eligibility rules for non-citizens.