ALT The main thing Congress has done about SNAP theft is to abandon a previous effort to help victims. The federal government had, since late 2022, been replacing people’s stolen funds, just as banks are required to do if your debit card is hacked. As a result, 753,929 households were compensated. In December 2024, a bipartisan spending agreement that included a provision to extend these reimbursements through 2028 was on the brink of becoming law. But Elon Musk, who had been named a leader of the new Department of Government Efficiency, attacked the legislation more than 100 times on X, pushing to “defund everything.” (Musk did not reply to a request for comment.) Trump then sank the deal. Victims of SNAP theft can no longer get any of their benefits replaced. And with the government off the hook for losses, there is now less incentive to put money into the solution.

ALT Many states, including Louisiana, have placed pressure on applicants to submit more information more often to verify their eligibility to reduce the state’s payment error rate and limit how much the cost of benefits shifts to the state. “It’s been a race to drive down those error rates,” Llobrera said. He said the challenge of implementing new program restrictions and requiring more documentation has increased the burden on applicants and state agencies. The agencies have to process more paperwork on a tight timeline without enough staff. This can increase the likelihood of errors when processing applications, potentially leading to rejection of benefits for more people. It’s also harder for applicants to meet additional verification requirements.