By Lindsay Cuomo, Strategic Advocacy and Engagement Manager
There’s a story surfacing when public benefits enter the conversation. It’s a familiar one: skepticism and lingering questions about SNAP fraud. It travels quickly. Faster than data. Faster than lived experiences. Faster than the truth.
In fact, it’s become a widely accepted narrative. But when we slow down and actually look at the evidence, a very different picture comes into focus.
SNAP Fraud in Oklahoma and the Persistence of a Misleading Narrative
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is often framed as vulnerable to misuse. It’s become, as Hunger Free Oklahoma President and CEO Chris Bernard put it, an “easy political punching bag.”
Yet federal and state data tell a different story: SNAP fraud rates in Oklahoma and nationwide remain low. In fact, SNAP is the nation’s largest and most efficient way to fight hunger. For every one meal a food bank provides, SNAP provides nine.
This isn’t by accident. SNAP operates with a high level of oversight. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Oklahoma Human Services (OKDHS) use layered monitoring systems that include data analysis, case reviews, and investigations. There’s a full framework of accountability built into the program.
And when fraud occurs, it is investigated, not ignored.
A Crucial Distinction: Error Is Not Fraud
Here’s where the narrative has recently taken another wrong turn. Fraud, by definition, is intentional. It requires someone knowingly breaking the rules.
Errors, on the other hand, are administrative mistakes. Paperwork complexities. Math miscalculations. In fact, most improper payments are the result of unintentional errors, not criminal activity.
By law, these errors are corrected. If someone receives too much, they are required to repay it. If they receive too little, that is corrected, too.
Benefit Theft is a Growing Concern
Benefit theft is an increasingly urgent issue that needs to be addressed. States replaced more than $320 million in stolen SNAP benefits between October 2022 and December 2024. That federal replacement provision has expired, leaving many families at risk of losing critical nutrition support with no safety net to restore those benefits. When benefits are stolen, the impact is immediate and personal, often resulting in skipped grocery trips and missed meals.
These thefts are frequently carried out by organized networks, using tactics such as card skimming, cloning, and automated bot attacks to access benefits without consent. While most EBT cardholders take steps to protect their benefits, EBT safeguards lag behind security features standard for credit and debit cards, leaving SNAP participants vulnerable.
In response, several states are working to strengthen protections through updated technology. Oklahoma has launched a chip-enabled and mobile payment pilot this year. Early results from a similar program are promising. California reported an 83% reduction in benefit theft after implementing PIN resets and chip-enabled cards, showing that stronger systems can make a meaningful difference for families and communities alike.
Who SNAP Actually Serves
Stepping outside the narrative for a moment, let’s look at the people accessing the program.
In Oklahoma:
- 1 in 7 residents live in poverty, including 1 in 5 children
- 66% of SNAP participants are in families with children
- 33% are in families with members who are older adults or disabled
SNAP helps lift people out of poverty and provides families with stability during times of financial strain.
“People wish SNAP were letting them access more food; they aren’t looking to sacrifice the food they need,” shared Beth, a SNAP participant and advocate.
When Participation Gets Misinterpreted
There’s a recurring leap in logic: if so many people use SNAP, there must be widespread abuse.
But that leap skips over a critical truth. Eligibility for SNAP includes working families, seniors, and households earning up to 130% of the federal poverty level. It reflects economic reality, not exploitation.
“We need and protect every benefit we get. Even with SNAP, we usually have to go to the food bank once a month to make sure we have enough food,” shared Torri, an Oklahoma mom, SNAP participant, and advocate.
A recent Hunger Free Oklahoma poll found that 56% of Oklahomans have struggled to afford food in the past year. That’s more than half choosing between food and other essential expenses.
Those numbers don’t point to fraud. They underscore the need for systemic changes that remove barriers to food security and help families move toward economic stability. High participation isn’t a warning sign. It’s a mirror reflecting real life for many families in Oklahoma.
The Cost of Getting It Wrong
Misinformation about SNAP fraud doesn’t just distort perception. It carries consequences, shapes policy conversations, and influences funding decisions. When SNAP funding is reduced, need doesn’t disappear; it falls on local communities and organizations already stretched thin.
It creates stigma for families navigating difficult circumstances and could make someone hesitate before applying for the help they qualify for. It can turn a support system into something that feels like a source of shame.
Mostly importantly, when the spotlight stays fixed on fraud, it distracts from the real issues we could be solving: wages that don’t keep pace with costs and gaps in access to affordable, nutritious food.
SNAP as an Economic Engine
SNAP is one of the most efficient economic tools we have.
- 93% of SNAP funding goes directly to benefits
- In 2024, SNAP brought about $1.3 billion into Oklahoma
- That generated more than $2 billion in economic activity
SNAP dollars don’t sit still. They move quickly through grocery stores, farmers markets, and local businesses, supporting jobs and communities across the state.
SNAP doesn’t just help families make it through the month. It helps local economies keep moving.
A More Honest Conversation
If we want to build effective policy and stronger communities, the conversation around SNAP has to come from a place of accuracy.
Fraud exists in many systems, and SNAP is no exception. But scale matters. Context matters. Data matters. And people matter most of all.
No one, especially kids, veterans, people with disabilities, or older adults, should worry if they can afford their next meal. Because behind every statistic is someone making decisions, stretching a budget, trying to make things work.
The real story of SNAP isn’t one of widespread abuse. It’s one of reach. Of responsiveness. Of a program designed to meet people where they are in moments when it matters most.
When we see that story clearly, something shifts. Then, we can finally focus on what actually moves the needle: reducing poverty, strengthening families, and building an economy where fewer people need help in the first place.