Tag: welfare

SNAP Junk Food Bans in Two States on Hold Due to Court Rulings

The battle over SNAP benefits might be being waged from state to state, but federal courts are part of the action, too.

Two states that had planned restrictions on the foods that can be purchased by those using Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program cards have put the moves on hold after a federal court ruled in favor of SNAP recipients in a case covering five other states, Newsweek reported Monday.

Six states still have restrictions in place.

SNAP, formerly known as “food stamps,” is a federally funded program administered by the individual states. It is overseen by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Some states restrict its use from purchasing junk food, such as sodas, candy, and some juices and energy drinks. Others have plans to do so.

The states that already have restrictions that are unaffected by the ruling, according to the grocery tracking website Greenchoice, are Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas, and Utah.

South Carolina and North Dakota were only days away from implementing similar bans beginning Sept. 1 when Judge Amy Berman Jackson, an Obama appointee on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, struck down restrictions that had already been in place in Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, Tennessee, and West Virginia.

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More Than Half of Immigrant-Led Households Receive Some Type of Welfare Benefit

According to a chart published by Personal Finance Wizards, 45.6% of Afghan immigrant households in the United States receive SNAP benefits. The chart, which shows the percentage of U.S. households receiving SNAP benefits by ethnicity, uses data from U.S. Census Table S0201.

Other groups with high participation rates include Somali households at 42.4%, Iraqi households at 34.8%, Dominican households at 34.4%, and Caribbean households at 28.2%.

Democrats are fond of claiming that illegal immigrants are not eligible for welfare and that illegal immigration, and immigration in general, represents a net gain for U.S. taxpayers. The term “welfare” is used specifically to narrow the scope.

The reality, however, is that legal and illegal immigrants receive hundreds of billions of dollars in federal and state assistance each year through a variety of programs, including Medicaid, food assistance programs, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), housing assistance, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), SNAP, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), school meal programs, the Earned Income Tax Credit, the Additional Child Tax Credit, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Medicare, and Affordable Care Act premium tax credits.

Furthermore, when it comes specifically to welfare, Democrats ignore the fact that families headed by illegal immigrant parents can receive benefits if they have U.S.-citizen children. Because the parents often work off the books, they can claim to have no income, making their children eligible for welfare benefits.

A separate analysis of 2024 Survey of Income and Program Participation data, published in February 2026 by the Center for Immigration Studies, found that 52.7% of immigrant-headed households used one or more major welfare programs, compared with 37.3% of U.S.-born-headed households. The largest gaps were in Medicaid use, at 39% versus 27%, and food assistance, at 35% versus 22%.

Among households headed specifically by illegal immigrants, the report found an overall welfare participation rate of 60.7%. One data point often cited to support the false claim that immigrants use benefits at a lower rate than native-born citizens is that SSI and housing assistance use among this group is lower than among U.S.-born households. However, the lower rate of SSI use is only because illegal aliens are largely barred from receiving SSI, although some still receive it through various means. As for housing benefits, U.S.-citizen children of immigrants, including illegal immigrants, qualify for housing assistance, so their parents do not need to apply for it themselves.

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Florida grand jury finds DeSantis administration misused $10 million, but no charges filed

A Florida grand jury found that Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration “misappropriated” $10 million in taxpayer money it diverted to a charity connected to his wife, but it declined to file criminal charges due to a lack of evidence indicating who specifically was responsible.

DeSantis on Thursday did not dispute the legitimacy of the secret grand jury report obtained and published online by CBS News Miami, but he insisted no laws were broken and said whoever leaked the sealed documents would face “consequences.”

The Leon County grand jury completed its report in January on investigations into Hope Florida, the charity started in 2021 by Florida first lady Casey DeSantis. Despite the lack of charges, the report ignited a new round of criticism aimed at DeSantis and other top state Republicans over the charity receiving $10 million from a state Medicaid settlement intended to help poor children get health insurance.

David Jolly, the Democratic nominee for governor, called for the grand jury probe to be reopened. He faces Republican Byron Donalds in November. DeSantis, under Florida law, cannot seek a third term.

The Hope Florida charity is supposed to help financially struggling families connect with churches and aid groups to help keep them off publicly-financed assistance programs. The $10 million was instead moved to political action committees that used the money to oppose a 2024 statewide ballot measure that would have legalized marijuana for adults in the state.

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Hope Florida grand jury finds Medicaid money ‘misused for political purposes’

A state grand jury investigating the Hope Florida scandal found that key members of the DeSantis administration wrongly engaged in a “sophisticated scheme” to divert $10 million of a Medicaid settlement into political activities and the Republican Party of Florida, according to a copy of the grand jury’s report obtained by CBS News Miami.

The report concluded the $10 million in taxpayer money was “plainly used for political purposes” but also said the grand jury could not find enough evidence to charge anyone with a crime because no one would “take responsibility” for deciding to divert the money to Hope Florida “or had any memory” of who made the decision.

It noted that most of those involved were lawyers who “acted on the advice of other lawyers” making it hard to determine who was to blame.

“We recognize that this would be an impediment to criminal prosecution,” the report said. “While we can’t prove who is responsible, we can plainly see that taxpayer money was misused for political purposes and we would like to see changes made to prevent this from happening again.”

Despite a lack of criminal charges, the report pointed fingers at key DeSantis officials who had been at the center of a scandal that centered on Hope Florida, a charity championed by First Lady Casey DeSantis. It became embroiled in controversy last year, once it became public that the charity had served as conduit for the $10 million that landed in political committees but should have paid for medical expenses for needy Floridians.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, who was then Gov. Ron DeSantis’ chief of staff, was “in a position of authority” and at the heart of a scheme that sent money to political committees fighting passage of an amendment to legalize marijuana in 2024, the grand jury found.

“Testimony identified (Uthmeier) as having involvement in directing the money after it went to Hope Florida,” the report said. “Testimony also revealed that Mr. Uthmeier’s Keep Florida Clean, a political action committee, was the prime recipient of the majority of the $10 million taxpayer funds.”

The report also found that U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody, who was attorney general at the time, knew of the scheme and authorized her chief deputy at the time, John Guard, to sign the settlement agreement, CBS News reported. Guard signed the settlement, despite his reservations, and “without conducting his due diligence to ensure the proper appropriation of taxpayer funds,” the report said.

Both Uthmeier and Moody were appointed by DeSantis to their current positions and are running for election to those offices in November. Their Democratic opponents called for their resignation after CBS posted its story.

DeSantis appointed Guard to serve as a judge on the Second Circuit Court of Appeal in January.

The $10 million was part of a $67 million settlement with the Centene Corporation, a Medicaid provider that overcharged the state. The $10 million was peeled off to Hope Florida, then within a matter of days transferred to two nonprofit political organizations that in quick succession gave the money to a political committee chaired by Uthmeier and set up to defeat the marijuana amendment.

The grand jury was convened in October 2025 by Leon County State Attorney Jack Campbell to investigate the circumstances surrounding the distribution of the $10 million, part of a larger $67 million settlement with the Centene Corporation, a Medicaid vendor that had overcharged the state for prescription medicines.

The investigation followed months of news reports about the scheme, after Rep. Alex Andrade held committee hearings questioning state officials and Hope Florida board members about the transfer. The grand jury concluded its work in January, and its report was sealed.

Neither DeSantis, Uthmeier or Moody were called to testify before the grand jury.

Uthmeier has defended his actions in public, and his office told CBS News on Wednesday said the only crime was releasing the grand jury report. Moody has ducked reporters’ questions about her involvement in the Hope Florida scandal.

DeSantis has characterized the Hope Florida scandal as a “hoax.” During a news conference Wednesday, CBS News reported, he said he wasn’t involved in the settlement agreement, “but was very happy with how everything was done.”

The grand jury report concludes with two recommendations — that the Legislature should pass a law to prevent something like this from occurring again, and pass “clear laws setting requirements” for how nonprofits like the Hope Florida Foundation can use taxapyer funds, making sure those funds are monitored and providing penalties for violating any new laws.

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Undocumented migrant accused of using 55 fake identities to collect $180K in Quebec welfare

An undocumented migrant from Senegal is accused of defrauding Quebec taxpayers of more than $180,000 by allegedly submitting dozens of social assistance applications using fake identities.

According to the Journal de Montréal, 45-year-old Omar Ndiaye has been detained since his arrest last month and faces fraud, document forgery and use of forged-document charges stemming from an alleged scheme operating between August 2024 and March 2026.

Crown prosecutors allege Ndiaye submitted 55 applications for last-resort financial assistance, mostly online, using fictitious profiles and impersonating different beneficiaries.

Quebec’s Ministry of Employment and Social Solidarity allegedly approved 37 of the applications, resulting in more than $180,000 in public money being paid out.

There was one apparent flaw in the alleged scheme: despite using different identities, photographs bearing a “very strong resemblance” to Ndiaye were allegedly attached to several applications.

Surveillance footage also allegedly captured Ndiaye withdrawing money with bank cards registered to three other people, while police reportedly observed him retrieving mail from several post office boxes registered at addresses other than his own.

According to the report, a former landlord discovered more than 140 letters from the Quebec government, federal government and a bank addressed to various individuals.

Investigators allegedly found another identity during Ndiaye’s arrest: a passport from the Democratic Republic of Congo bearing a different name but his photograph.

Crown prosecutor Julien Beaulieu argued against releasing Ndiaye pending trial.

“Mr. Ndiaye is using multiple different identities, so much so that he constitutes an imminent flight risk,” Beaulieu told the court.

Ndiaye has no legal status in Canada and testified that he works illegally as a dishwasher at a Montreal restaurant. He reportedly lived in Spain between 2005 and 2023.

Seeking release, Ndiaye told the court that “living in Canada is a dream” and insisted he had no intention of fleeing.

Quebec Court Judge Sonia Mastro Matteo wasn’t convinced.

The judge noted that Ndiaye’s place of residence in Canada was difficult to establish and ruled that a proposed $4,000 deposit was insufficient to ensure he would appear in court and comply with release conditions.

His defence, meanwhile, offered an unusual alternative explanation: another person could be responsible for the 55 allegedly fraudulent applications by impersonating Ndiaye himself.

Ndiaye remains behind bars and is scheduled to return to court in October.

According to the Crown, he could face three to five years in prison if convicted.

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Florida Overhauls Welfare Program to Ban ‘Inappropriate, Luxury’ Purchases

Florida is reforming a welfare program for needy families, banning taxpayer-funded purchases of such leisure activities as gambling, harmful non-essentials like tobacco and tattoos, and immoral activities such as “adult content.”

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) announced on August 24 an amendment to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) State Plan in order to ensure recipients cannot use the taxpayer-funded benefits for buying “inappropriate, luxury and non-essential items.” It’s an important move to prevent fraudsters from funding their pleasures and vices with TANF rather than using it for necessities.

Democrats and some irresponsible Republicans have encouraged welfare recipients to believe for many years now that they are owed other people’s money, even on a generational basis, and that any restrictions on how they spend that confiscated wealth are infringements of their rights. Thus when the Trump administration began trying to limit food stamp eligible products, countless individuals, many obese, took to social media to scream in fury that they had a right to buy Twinkies and root beer on other people’s dime.

In contrast, DeSantis explained, “TANF provides taxpayer-funded Temporary Cash Assistance (TCA) through an EBT card, which cannot be used to purchase alcohol, gamble, or spend money at adult entertainment establishments.”

The governor added that he has directed the Florida Department of Children and Families “to amend Florida’s TANF State Plan so that these benefits cannot also be used for tobacco, vaping products, adult content, video games, theme park tickets, tattoos, spa services, tanning, or psychic readings. Taxpayer-funded assistance should help families put food on the table, keep the lights on, purchase clothing, provide for their children and overcome barriers on the path toward independence.”

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How Medicare Became a Slush Fund

Four years ago this month, Washington passed a law and named it, with a straight face, the Inflation Reduction Act.

Bizarrely, their plan to ‘reduce inflation’, which had been caused by excessive government spending, was for the government to spend even more money. It’s genius!

Among its various provisions, part of the legislation authorized the government to negotiate prescription drug prices. Seems like a nice idea in principle… but in practice it’s been a disaster.

The Congressional Budget Office released the results late last month: the Medicare drug provisions that were supposed to generate $129 billion in savings will now add $700 billion to the deficit.

Sometimes it seems like this is the whole idea; given the rampant Medicare fraud that gets uncovered on a daily basis, it’s clear that politicians have an incentive to steer MORE money into the program.

Healthcare is the easiest spending in Washington to justify. Every dollar comes with the same argument: if we don’t spend on healthcare, people will die!

It ends up being so much money— a giant, dark pool of corruption— and a lot of it gets funneled straight back into the political process as campaign contributions. And it’s been going on for ages.

Back in 2002, for example, America’s biggest health-care workers union spent about $800,000 electing Rod Blagojevich governor of Illinois. He later thanked them “for electing me governor.”

Weeks after he took office, Blagojevich signed multiple executive orders that fattened the union’s pockets, like forcing more healthcare workers to join… and automatically deducting union dues from their paychecks. Bad for the unionized workers, but great for the union bosses.

In New York, the Greater New York Hospital Association wrote two checks totaling more than $1 million to the state Democratic Party in August 2018, at then-Governor Andrew Cuomo’s campaign’s request.

Three months later the state ordered its first across-the-board Medicaid rate increase since 2008, worth about $140 million a year. Great news for the hospital association.

The cycle never ends— the unions and associations scratch the politicians’ backs, and in turn get their backs scratched. No one can rationally expect those parties to walk away from their mutual benefit.

And this is just the ‘honest’ graft and corruption… it doesn’t take into account the outright fraud.

During COVID, Medicare paid for eight test kits per month, per person, in America. Yet an inspector general later found it paid up to $454 million for nearly 39 million kits over that limit.

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Number of UK Welfare Recipients Hits Record High of 8.4 Million

The number of people receiving direct welfare benefit payments in Britain has soared to an all-time high, the government has disclosed.

According to data published this week by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), 8.4 million people were receiving Universal Credit welfare payments as of May, an increase of around 700,000 from the previous year and 100,000 more than in February.

The DWP said this meant it is now the highest number of people receiving welfare under the Universal Credit scheme since it was introduced in 2013. The number of people on the rolls has increased from 5.5 million since March 2022.

Meanwhile, the proportion of welfare claimants with “no work requirements” rose from 46 per cent last year to 51 per cent in May, or 4.3 million. This was compared to 1.6 million claimants who were required to search for work.

The remaining 3.1 million claimants were employed while receiving the benefits, or 37.7 per cent of the total, down from 41.9 per cent just a year before.

The statistics showed that over 15 per cent of Universal Credit claimants in May were migrants, inclduing 8.9 per cent who were granted access to British welfare as a result of the EU Settlement Scheme following Brexit, which in turn allows for British expats living in EU nations to access their welfare states.

The data release comes as Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party has unveiled plans to cut welfare spending by £51 billion ($69bn) per year, which would purportedly save every British family £1,700 ($2,305) annually.

Shadow Chancellor Robert Jenrick said that, if elected, a Reform government would ban all foreigners from receiving welfare benefits, including EU nationals granted access under the Brexit withdrawal agreement. According to Jenrick, simply removing non-British citizens from the scheme would save taxpayers £21 billion ($28.5bn) a year by 2029.

The Reform Party would also look to adopt a similar scheme to that implemented in the Netherlands, in which businesses will be incentivised to encourage their workers to return to the force by requiring firms with more than five employees to purchase a new form of insurance to pay for employees who go on disability.

Jenrick said that the Dutch system upon which it is modelled had cut disability claims by 40 per cent.

Furthermore, Reform would also require that those able to work who have been receiving Universal Credit for over a year must do 20 hours of community service per week or lose their benefits.

“Without these changes, the cost of the welfare system will keep spiralling. We will face a genuine national debt crisis. Those least able to bear it will pay the highest price,” Jenrick warned. “Only Reform will do what it takes to avert this.”

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Minnesota “Outstanding Refugee” Award Recipient Gets Busted for Defrauding Medicaid By OVER $1 MILLION with Help of Individuals Connected to Sex-Trafficking Ring

In news that should surprise absolutely no one, a refugee once celebrated by the State of Minnesota turned out to be less than upstanding.

KMSP reported on Monday that Salman Ahmed Elmi, who was honored as an “outstanding refugee” by the Minnesota Department of Human Services, has been busted for defrauding Medicaid by over $1 million.

By that’s not all. Police say that Elmi’s alleged co-conspirators at Reva Health in Golden Valley have connections to a recent sex trafficking case.

Here’s the background on the case from KMSP:

Elmi is accused of billing Medicaid for more than $1 million in services that were not provided or not eligible. Reva Health provided autism services and adult rehabilitative mental health services.

Elmi and the other co-conspirators are accused of falsifying documents to get Medicaid reimbursements. Prosecutors say other co-conspirators directed staff to pay kickbacks to people to use their information for claims.

The charges state two people involved in the fraud enterprise, former Anoka County prosecutor Andrea Sampson and Frank Devone Reeves, were also involved in a sex trafficking ring that was busted in Hennepin County last week.

Individuals charged in the case face a slew of charges, and on Monday, authorities said there could be many more victims who suffered as a result of that case.

KMSP notes that in addition to being named an “outstanding refugee,” the State of Minnesota also honored Elmi with an Entrepreneurship Award in 2021.

Elmi is the founder and part-owner of the Minneapolis-based startup Tavolo, which received funding from Shark Tank star Kevin O’Leary. Tavolo is an AI marketing app for restaurants.

Elmi then used the honor of being a part-owner of the Minneapolis-based startup Tavolo to secure the loan to start Reva Health.

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Reform UK Unveils Plans to Cut Welfare by £50 Billion a Year, Including Ending Benefits to Foreigners

Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party has vowed to implement the largest welfare reforms in a generation, which it says will save the British taxpayer an estimated £50 billion a year by ensuring that only UK citizens receive benefits and ending the culture of “something for nothing”.

In his first major policy pronouncement since joining the party in January, Shadow Chancellor Robert Jenrick said that a Reform government would always protect people in genuine need, such as pensioners, children, the vulnerable, and armed forces veterans; it would also seek to “restore fairness” by reserving benefits for Britons only and cutting off those who leech off the state and take “advantage of their fellow citizens”.

“In towns and cities up and down the country, working people tell stories of those in their communities who are pulling a fast one, taking everyone else for fools. The family who enjoy regular holidays, nights out, have new cars on the drive – but who out of choice haven’t seen a day’s work for years. Sometimes decades. This is fundamentally unfair,” Jenrick remarked.

The Reform economics spokesman said that the party’s plan would save the taxpayer £51 billion ($69bn) per year, or £1,700 ($2,305) for every family in the country, and would incentivise 241,000 British nationals to return to work.

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