The U.S. Department of Agriculture has uncovered serious problems in the food stamp program after reviewing data from 28 states.
The agency found approximately 186,000 deceased individuals still receiving benefits. Officials also identified around 500,000 cases of people getting duplicate payments across multiple states.
The findings come after USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins requested detailed recipient information from all states in late 2025. The data included names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, and addresses going back to 2020.
Only 28 states and Guam provided the information. Most were Republican-led states like Alabama, Florida, and Texas. The review covered records from the $100 billion program that serves roughly 40 million Americans.
USDA officials estimate the problems could cost taxpayers $9 billion per year. That breaks down to about $24 million lost every single day, according to agency statements.
In some cases, people were receiving food stamp benefits in up to five different states at the same time. The deceased cases often involved Social Security numbers of dead people still being used to collect monthly payments.
The numbers represent about 1% of participants for deceased cases and 2.7% for duplicate benefits in the states that cooperated, based on independent analysis of the data.
Twenty-two states refused to hand over the information. Democratic-led states including California, New York, and Minnesota filed lawsuits starting in July 2025. They argue the data requests violate privacy laws and exceed USDA authority.
Federal judges have issued temporary orders blocking the data collection in several states. Courts also stopped USDA threats to withhold administrative funding from states that didn’t comply.
In Minnesota, a judge halted USDA efforts to force the state to review 100,000 households in just 30 days. Administrative funds cover about half of what states spend running the program.
USDA has announced over 120 arrests related to SNAP fraud, according to official statements. The agency is pushing for stricter verification rules and system upgrades.
But experts say the picture is more complicated. According to the USDA Food and Nutrition Service, intentional fraud by recipients accounts for only 1-2% of program errors.
The bigger losses come from organized crime. Card skimming, benefit trafficking, and retailer fraud have cost hundreds of millions in recent years, federal reports show.
Administrative errors and outdated computer systems also play a major role. States are required to check the Social Security Death Master File, but enforcement varies widely across the country.
Some policy analysts note that many flagged cases may be administrative delays rather than active fraud. When someone dies, it can take weeks or months for databases to update and benefits to stop.
The Trump administration has called for a major overhaul of SNAP. Initial proposals included mass reapplication requirements, though officials later walked back some plans after legal pushback.
As of January 2026, lawsuits are still moving through federal courts. No complete nationwide data exists yet because of the ongoing legal disputes.
Key issues identified by USDA include:
- Deceased individuals receiving monthly payments
- People collecting benefits in multiple states
- Weak verification systems across state lines
- Delays in updating death records
- Organized trafficking operations
The USDA continues to work with cooperating states while legal battles block access to information from nearly half the country. Official updates are available through the USDA Food and Nutrition Service website and ongoing court filings.
