WASHINGTON (TNND) — The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has had questions raised about it over the past few days about how beneficial it is or the amount of fraud within the system.
Due to the government shutdown, SNAP benefits are expected to expire on Nov. 1 due to Congress’ inability to pass legislation to fund the government.
Reports about problems with the program have surfaced over the past few days as over 40 million people could lose their benefits this weekend.
The federal government allocated $100 billion to SNAP during the fiscal year 2024, which is roughly 1.5% of all federal spending.
The Department of Agriculture put out a report in 2023 that roughly estimated that 11.7% of snap benefits, which is $10.5 billion, were not paid properly, resulting in fraud.
Since Robert F. Kennedy Jr. became the secretary of Health and Human Services, multiple states have removed junk food from SNAP benefits as part of the “Make America Healthy Again” movement.
“For years, SNAP has used taxpayer dollars to fund soda and candy—products that fuel America’s diabetes and chronic disease epidemics,” Kennedy said in an August statement.
“These waivers help put real food back at the center of the program and empower states to lead the charge in protecting public health. I thank these governors who have stepped up to request waivers, and I encourage others to follow their lead. This is how we Make America Healthy Again.”
In some areas, obesity rates reach 35-40% in some of the highest SNAP zip code areas, according to a report from Just the News.
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Data from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) from 2024-2025 show SNAP recipients continue to struggle with diabetes and other health problems.