USDA Expands Safeguards for SNAP Benefits with Pilot Targeting Out-of-State Fraud

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is expanding its fraud prevention efforts with a pilot program designed to reduce out-of-state benefit theft in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). While the majority of SNAP benefits are used as intended to provide critical nutrition support to families in need, USDA is committed to rooting out all program fraud, including stolen benefits. This resource describes a pilot to automatically block SNAP transactions in states where participants are unlikely to be shopping but empower participants to activate their card for out-of-state use when needed. It also mentions the ongoing initiatives to strengthen protections for SNAP benefits.