In a sweeping move to overhaul the nation’s food assistance program, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins declared on Thursday that every individual currently receiving benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will be required to reapply. The directive, aimed at eliminating fraud and ensuring aid reaches only those truly in need, marks one of the most aggressive federal interventions in the program’s history.
Speaking on Newsmax’s Rob Schmitt Tonight, Rollins laid out the administration’s vision for reform. “It’s going to give us a platform and a trajectory to fundamentally rebuild this program, have everyone reapply for their benefit, make sure that everyone that’s taking a taxpayer-funded benefit through SNAP or food stamps, that they literally are vulnerable, and they can’t survive without it,” she said.
The announcement comes amid a mounting Republican push for program integrity, with Rollins pointing to alarming data from 29 states led by Republican governors. According to the secretary, audits revealed that 186,000 deceased individuals remained on SNAP rolls, continuing to draw benefits long after their passing. A USDA spokesperson later confirmed to The Hill that the reapplication mandate would leverage “standard recertification processes for households” as a tool to address what the administration describes as unacceptably high assumed fraud rates.
While states have long required periodic recertification—typically every six to twelve months—this federal initiative goes further, mandating a comprehensive, nationwide reapplication for all current recipients. No specific start date has been set, though Rollins indicated that a detailed overhaul plan would be unveiled in the coming weeks.
SNAP, often referred to as food stamps, provides roughly $6 per day in grocery assistance to millions of low-income Americans. The program has been a cornerstone of the nation’s social safety net, but the Trump administration has made curbing waste and abuse a top priority. The push for universal reapplication builds on earlier efforts, including a controversial request for sensitive personal data—such as Social Security numbers—from state governments, which has already sparked legal pushback.
Critics, including advocates from Feeding America, warn that a blanket reapplication requirement could create significant barriers for eligible families. They note that USDA’s own estimates place improper payment rates below 1 percent and argue that administrative hurdles risk pushing vulnerable households into food insecurity. Despite these concerns, the administration remains firm, framing the measure as a necessary step to restore public trust in a program funded by taxpayers.
