SNAP FACTS VS. FICTION

MYTH: MOST PEOPLE ON SNAP DON’T WORK

FACT: Most people on SNAP who can work, do work.

55% of SNAP households with children have earned income (and nearly 28% of all SNAP households have earned income)

79% of SNAP households include a child, an older adult, or a non-elderly person with a disability – meaning most participants are not expected to work.

Only 12% of SNAP households include a non-working adult with no children and no disabling condition (a population sometimes referred to as Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents, or ABAWDs)

BOTTOM LINE: Most SNAP participants are working, caring for someone who cannot work, unable to work due to age or disability, going to school, or seeking work. [Source]

MYTH: WORK REQUIREMENTS INCENTIVIZE PEOPLE TO GET JOBS

FACT: Work requirements do not increase employment – they make it harder for our most vulnerable neighbors to access food assistance.

A 2023 study found that imposing work requirements led to a 53% drop in SNAP participation rather than increasing employment.

People who receive SNAP after job loss return to work faster and with higher earnings than those without food assistance.

BOTTOM LINE: SNAP helps people bounce back. Work requirements punish them for falling behind. [Source]

MYTH: SNAP PAYMENT ERROR RATES MEAN THE PROGRAM IS FULL OF FRAUD

FACT: Payment errors are not fraud – they’re primarily overpayments and underpayments due to clerical errors and outdated recipient information

Nationally, SNAP is 89% accurate.

When overpayments do happen, the overage is recouped.

BOTTOM LINE: SNAP is closely monitored, and every dollar is accounted for. [Source| Source]

MYTH: SNAP IS A DRAIN ON TAXPAYERS

FACT: SNAP strengthens the economy and lowers health care costs.

Every SNAP dollar spent generates $1.50+ in local economic activity, supporting local businesses and contributing to local taxes that fund services like schools and health care.

In FY2024, SNAP brought more than $4.4 billion to the state of Illinois. In Cook County, SNAP generates more than $280 million a month in local economic activity.

SNAP participants incur $1,400–$2,360 less in annual health care costs than low-income non-participants.

BOTTOM LINE: SNAP is an economic engine that supports businesses and helps save costs in other sectors. [Source]

MYTH: STATES EXPLOIT SNAP TO PULL IN FEDERAL MONEY

FACT: States do not profit from SNAP overpayments, which must be repaid.

Federal law requires states to recoup every dollar of overpaid SNAP benefits – including withholding tax refunds or Social Security if needed.

States prioritize SNAP enrollment because the program reduces food insecurity by 30%, boosts local economies, and improves health outcomes.

BOTTOM LINE: Prudent states maximize SNAP because of its effectiveness.

MYTH: MILLIONAIRES CAN QUALIFY FOR SNAP BECAUSE ASSETS AREN’T CHECKED

FACT: The wealthy do not receive SNAP.

The asset test was relaxed by Congress to allow low-income families to keep modest savings without losing food assistance.

45 states use this option to reduce bureaucracy and encourage financial stability, not reward wealth.

The “millionaire on SNAP” claim came from one man who applied on purpose in 2018 to make a political point.

BOTTOM LINE: SNAP helps people in need, not the wealthy.

MYTH: UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS RECEIVE SNAP

FACT: Undocumented people are not, and have never been, eligible for SNAP benefits.

Federal law limits SNAP to U.S. citizens and certain lawfully present immigrants (e.g., green card holders).

U.S. citizen children in mixed-status families can receive benefits, but undocumented family members cannot, and their income still counts when determining eligibility.

Recent legislation strips benefits from eligible immigrants with a lawful status, including refugees, trafficking survivors, and asylum recipients – a dramatic break from bipartisan American precedent.

BOTTOM LINE: Undocumented individuals do not receive SNAP benefits.

MYTH: DECEASED OR INCARCERATED PEOPLE RECEIVE SNAP

FACT: States regularly cross-check records and close ineligible cases.

Illinois cross-references SNAP rolls with state prison records and Social Security death data to remove ineligible participants.

BOTTOM LINE: SNAP cases are regularly verified.