Arizona Tightens Grip on SNAP Benefits

Regardless of employment status or not, every U.S. citizen should have the right to food, which is why the federal government created SNAP.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a form of food stamps that allow lower income families to use benefits to purchase groceries for themselves and their family.

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SNAP Fraud

Such a program is a godsend to those who have been left behind by the system. It allows them to still continue to eat, and eat healthy, when they may not be able to afford food themselves.

Unfortunately, the goodwill of the United States is ripe for exploitation. It has become commonplace for those with the proper resources to live comfortably to apply for SNAP benefits and take them away from those who truly need them. This has caused quite an uproar in the Arizona government, and they're ready to implement a change.

How Arizona is Preventing Fraud

With the implementation of House Bill 2502, Arizona is hoping to protect SNAP benefits for the people who really need it. The bill would require SNAP applicants to attend an employment and training program, if they are of able body and between 18 and 60 years of age.

The follow up bill, HB 2503, expands on this. This bill denies the Department of Economic Security from seeking renewal of work requirement waivers from eligible members of the program aged 18-52.

If both of these bills pass (likely together or not at all), it will allow the state government to eradicate SNAP fraud, though through that, it would add more steps for the ones who truly need it. It's unclear whether this path will lead to the outcome that politicians want, but it's a first step.