The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has revealed that 14,000 people in one state were receiving food stamps while also driving luxury vehicles, the news coming as President Donald Trump’s administration works to crack down on fraud within the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
The USDA said some have been using a loophole that allows wealthier people to qualify for the benefits, Fox News reported Friday.
In a social media post on Tuesday, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins said authorities found that in one state 14,000 people receiving SNAP benefits were driving luxury vehicles such as Bentleys, Ferraris, and Lamborghinis.
“And this is just in ONE STATE. We need to defend our nutrition programs for those most in need, not for scammers gaming the system. These individuals are taking advantage of the American taxpayer. And together with @VP’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, this ends NOW. 4.3M Americans have been moved off of SNAP — but more work to be done!” she wrote:
Per the Fox article, Rollins has warned that her agency is working to close the loophole under the Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility policy used to qualify for SNAP benefits despite having money to buy extremely expensive vehicles.
In November, Rollins said officials were going to start cutting massive fraud and abuse within the SNAP program, noting that thousands of dead people were still receiving checks. She later said the USDA was going to review all its programs to ensure only legal citizens were receiving benefits.
“Right now, we are requiring states turn over recipient data to fight waste, fraud, and abuse. Even though 22 blue states have refused to provide the data, we are using every tool to compel their compliance,” Rollins explained.
On Thursday, she said so far 4.3 million people have been moved off SNAP and officials found 186,000 dead people were receiving benefits.
“For years, the Democrats let fraudsters abuse SNAP and take advantage of this massive government program — the Biden admin ballooning it by 40 percent as they tried to buy votes with your tax dollars. It is hard to fully comprehend what would have happened if President Trump hadn’t won. This program and so many others would have continued to grow unchecked and freedom as we know it would have been lost forever,” Rollins wrote in her social media post:
Vice President JD Vance praised Rollins on Friday for her work to end rampant fraud in the SNAP program that he said former President Joe Biden’s (D) administration allowed to increase:
“SNAP benefits should be used by Americans who need help buying food, not by fraudsters with enough cash to buy Bentleys and Ferraris,” Vance concluded.
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