{"id":2075360,"date":"2023-10-21T20:16:02","date_gmt":"2023-10-22T00:16:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/watchdog-says-66000-people-kept-getting-food-stamps-despite-winning-big-in-lottery\/"},"modified":"2023-10-21T20:19:51","modified_gmt":"2023-10-22T00:19:51","slug":"watchdog-says-66000-people-kept-getting-food-stamps-despite-winning-big-in-lottery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/watchdog-says-66000-people-kept-getting-food-stamps-despite-winning-big-in-lottery\/","title":{"rendered":"66,000 lottery winners still received food stamps, says watchdog."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fwatchdog-says-66000-people-kept-getting-food-stamps-despite-winning-big-in-lottery%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2075360&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><blockquote>\n<h2>Watchdog Reveals: Thousands of Lottery \u2063Winners Stay on Food Stamp\u200c Rolls<\/h2>\n<p>A recent\u200b report by a watchdog organization\u2063 has uncovered a \u200cshocking\u2063 revelation: \u2062over 66,000\u2062 individuals\u200c who won substantial amounts\u200b of money in\u200c lotteries have continued to\u2062 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/food-stamps-how-to-apply-for-snap-benefit-payments-across-the-country\/\" title=\"Apply for SNAP benefits nationwide to receive food stamps.\">receive food stamps<\/a>,\u2062 despite\u200d being ineligible. And that&#8217;s just based on data from 13 states. The actual number across all 50 states is likely in the hundreds of thousands.<\/p>\n<p>The Foundation for Government Accountability (FGA) conducted a thorough investigation, submitting Freedom \u2063of Information Act (FOIA) requests to all 50 states. The requests \u2063sought \u2063information\u2064 on lottery winners who remained in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/morning-wire-biden-faces-backlash-over-afghanistan-speech-tropical-storm-hits-haiti-following-massive-earthquake-biden-administration-expands-food-stamp-program\/\" title=\"Morning Wire: Biden Faces Backlash Over Afghanistan Speech, Tropical Storm Hits Haiti Following Massive Earthquake, Biden Administration Expands Food Stamp Program\">food stamp program<\/a> since\u200b 2019. According to Hayden \u2064Dublois,\u200c the data\u200b and analytics director at FGA,\u2062 the results were staggering.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;We aren&#8217;t\u2063 talking about the proud\u200d owners of $20 prizes from scratchers.\u200d We&#8217;re\u200c talking about those who won at \u200cleast $4,250, which, under federal law, makes a person\u2062 ineligible for\u200d the taxpayer&#8217;s\u200c help,&#8221; Mr. Dublois said in \u200can Oct. 20 op-ed for Fox News.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h2>Related Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/food-stamps-will-be-harder-to-get-from-october-5503226?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><br \/>\n<h3>Food Stamps Will Be Harder to Get From\u2063 October<\/h3>\n<p><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/food-stamp-program-losing-1-billion-every-month-to-alleged-fraud-errors-sen-ernst-5499332?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><br \/>\n<h3>Food Stamp Program Loses $1\u200c Billion Every Month to Alleged Fraud, Errors: Sen. Ernst<\/h3>\n<p><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>According\u200d to Mr. Dublois, this alarming \u2064situation \u2064is\u200d the \u2062result of a combination\u2063 of state \u200bnegligence and\u200d federal loopholes. The FOIA request\u2063 yielded survey\u200b data \u200bfrom 13 states, but the actual number of lottery winners receiving food stamps \u200cis likely much higher across the entire country.<\/p>\n<p>FGA has been raising awareness\u2064 about the persistent abuse of the food stamp program \u200bfor a long time. Mr. Dublois emphasized the need for Congress to \u200btake action and \u200bremove lottery winners from the program when passing\u2063 the Farm Bill\u200b later this year.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking of the \u200cFarm Bill, this legislation, passed every five years, determines policies for\u200b various programs, including the food stamp\u2064 system. Some \u2064Republicans, like Rep. Ben\u2063 Cline, have introduced \u2063bills to reform the system and prevent abuse.<\/p>\n<p>Food stamp reform is a contentious \u200cissue on Capitol Hill, with Democrats and Republicans holding \u200bdifferent views. \u200dHowever, the alarming statistics and the potential savings of $112 billion over the next decade by \u200dclosing the loophole should be a compelling \u2063argument for change.<\/p>\n<h2>Loophole In Focus<\/h2>\n<p>In recent\u200c decades,\u2062 food stamp enrollment has\u2062 skyrocketed,\u2063 with the number of people on the \u200brolls increasing \u2062from 17 million in 2000 to 42.4 million in 2023. This has resulted in a \u200bnearly 600 percent increase in costs to taxpayers, according to FGA.<\/p>\n<p>FGA points out that 41\u200d states and\u200b Washington DC ignore federal\u2064 income and asset limits, allowing ineligible individuals\u200c to receive food stamp benefits. This not only \u200bwastes taxpayer money but also opens the system to fraud and abuse.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, FGA estimates that approximately 5.4 million food stamp recipients \u2062who enrolled through broad-based \u2063categorical eligibility (BBCE) do not \u2063meet the requirements. These households are nearly three times more likely to have payment errors compared to other households.<\/p>\n<p>With the Farm\u2062 Bill \u2064on \u200cthe horizon, Congress has a unique\u2064 opportunity to address \u2062this issue and close the BBCE\u2064 loophole. Doing so could save \u200dtaxpayers an \u200castounding $112 billion over the next decade and restore \u200dprogram integrity.<\/p>\n<p>Another concerning aspect \u200bof the\u2063 food stamp program is the significant amount of money lost due to fraud and errors. \u200bSen. \u200dJoni Ernst has introduced legislation to\u2064 tackle \u200bthis issue, aiming \u2064to \u2062reduce the \u200bmonthly loss of approximately $1 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).<\/p>\n<p>Republicans have been pushing for food stamp spending curbs, while Democrats\u200b have expressed\u200d concerns about cutting the program. The debate continues, but the\u2063 need for reform is\u2063 evident.<\/p>\n<h2>Food Stamp Expansion \u2064Blamed for Rising Grocery Prices<\/h2>\n<p>Recent research conducted by FGA highlights the impact of increased food stamp spending on grocery \u2064prices. Under the\u2064 Biden administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) expanded the Supplemental Assistance\u2063 Nutrition Program \u2062(SNAP) \u200dby approximately 27 percent compared to pre-pandemic levels.<\/p>\n<p>This expansion\u2062 has \u2063led to a minimum \u206215 percent increase in grocery\u2062 prices, according to FGA. Repealing President Biden&#8217;s food stamp expansion could save taxpayers over $190 billion in\u200b the next decade.<\/p>\n<p>Republicans are\u2062 advocating for \u200b<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/food-stamp-spending-expansion-blamed-for-15-percent-grocery-price-inflation\/\" title=\"Food stamp spending increase blamed for 15% rise in grocery prices.\">curbing food stamp spending<\/a>, while Democrats urge caution. The\u200c White House and the USDA\u2063 have not yet responded to these findings.<\/p>\n<p>While various factors contribute \u200dto grocery inflation, such as pandemic-induced shifts in food \u2063demand and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/never-seen-anything-like-it-elon-musk-reacts-to-global-supply-chain-issues\/\" title=\"\u2018Never Seen Anything Like It\u2019: Elon Musk Reacts To Global Supply Chain Issues\">global supply chain issues<\/a>, food stamp \u200cpolicies \u200dshould\u2062 not be\u200b overlooked\u2062 as a potential \u200dfactor.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What proposed reforms have been introduced to prevent abuse and close the federal loopholes in the food stamp program<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Ely \u200d$112 \u2064billion could be saved over the next decade by closing this loophole and removing lottery winners from the food stamp program. This\u2063 is a significant amount of money that could be redirected towards programs that truly help those in need.<\/p>\n<p>The issue of \u200dlottery winners staying\u200b on food stamp rolls highlights the need for stricter\u2062 enforcement of eligibility criteria and better coordination between\u2062 federal and state agencies. It is unacceptable that individuals\u2063 who have won substantial amounts of money \u200dare still <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/watchdog-says-66000-people-kept-getting-food-stamps-despite-winning-big-in-lottery\/\" title=\"66,000 lottery winners still received food stamps, says watchdog.\">receiving taxpayer-funded assistance intended<\/a> for \u2062those with\u200c limited incomes.<\/p>\n<p>This case also sheds light \u2063on the broader problem of abuse and fraud within the food stamp program. The FGA&#8217;s findings\u200b show not only the negligence \u2064of\u200b some state agencies but also the existence\u200d of federal loopholes that\u200b allow ineligible individuals to receive benefits. This undermines the purpose of the program and puts an unnecessary burden on taxpayers.<\/p>\n<p>Efforts to reform the food stamp \u2064program have been\u200d proposed,\u2064 with some Republicans introducing bills to prevent abuse and close the federal loopholes. However, reforming the system has become a contentious issue, with Democrats and Republicans \u200bholding\u2064 different views on how to\u2064 address the problem.<\/p>\n<p>Moving forward, it is crucial that\u200b Congress takes \u2062action and addresses the issue of lottery winners staying on food stamp \u200crolls. \u2064The upcoming Farm Bill presents \u200ban opportunity to implement necessary reforms and\u2062 ensure\u2063 that taxpayer dollars are used \u2064efficiently and effectively.<\/p>\n<p>In conclusion, the \u2063recent report by \u200bthe Foundation for Government Accountability reveals the alarming\u200b fact that thousands\u200b of lottery winners continue to receive food stamps despite being ineligible. This highlights the need for\u2062 stricter enforcement of \u2063eligibility\u2064 criteria and better coordination\u200c between federal and state agencies. \u200bIt is essential for Congress to take action and\u2062 close\u200b the federal \u200cloopholes that allow for such abuse. By doing\u200b so, significant\u2063 savings could be achieved, \u2063and the food stamp program can be truly targeted towards those in need.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A watchdog found that 66,000 individuals remained on food stamps despite winning lottery prizes that made them ineligible. This data is from only 13 states, suggesting the actual number across all 50 states could be in the hundreds of thousands. The Foundation for Government Accountability (FGA) obtained this information through a Freedom of Information request.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":118,"featured_media":2075361,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2075360","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2075360","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/118"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2075360"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2075360\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2075361"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2075360"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2075360"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2075360"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}