Legislative Post Audit, the auditing arm of the Kansas Legislature, estimates between $700,000 and $1.2 million in SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits, also known as food stamps, went to former Kansas residents after they moved out of the state. At least one apparently received the benefits for 21 months, even though their case should have been reviewed at six-month intervals.
The finding, covering fiscal years 2023 and 2024, is the latest saga in the ongoing tension between the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which provides 50% of the funding for SNAP, and the Department for Children and Families (DCF), which provides the other half and administers the program statewide. In recent months, DCF has been cited for its high error rate in computing benefits, providing benefits to those not eligible to receive them, and withholding demographic data on recipients that USDA requested to help combat fraud in the program. However, Governor Laura Kelly recently relented under a threat of USDA cutting its share of funds to run SNAP, and agreed to provide the data.
LPA recommended DCF implement a security measure on the Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards recipients use to buy food, by placing a photograph of a household member on the card, in a renewed effort to combat fraud. DCF countered that retrofitting the cards of over 97,000 recipients would cost over $250,000, requiring a legislative appropriation. The agency also cited instances in which the EBT card may not be used by the person whose picture is on it.
On the out-of-state recipient issue, DCF cited federal rules that limited the amount of information, such as changes in employment and wages, required to be provided immediately to the agency by recipients and federal rules that allow the six-month lag time between reviews and recertification of benefits.
Although DCF explanations appear valid, trimming only 50% of those out-of-state recipients receiving benefits would more than cover the cost of placing photographs on EBT cards.
LPA also faults federal government regulations in its conclusions from its audit:
The Department for Children and Families appears to have the required processes in place to prevent and detect SNAP misuse. However, even with limited data we found instances where recipients may have received benefits after potentially moving from the state. This violates federal and state law which require that a recipient live in the state where they receive benefits. As a simplified reporting state, federal law only requires recipients to immediately report changes in wages, hours worked, and lottery winnings. Recipients are only required to notify DCF of a move out-of-state at the 6-month report and the 12-month certification. Until October 2025 this information was self-reported by recipients and DCF did not routinely require documentation. This made it difficult for DCF to proactively identify recipients who have moved out of state. For example, we saw one case where an individual received benefits for 21 months after potentially moving from Kansas. However, as a simplified reporting state, the federal government does not permit DCF to require SNAP recipients to report a change of address at the time of that change.
Responding to the audit, House Speaker Dan Hawkins blasted the Kelly Administration for its handling of SNAP:
“A recent audit found that Kansas may have paid between $700,000 and $1.2 million in SNAP benefits to individuals outside the state, highlighting serious concerns about oversight and coordination in public assistance programs. House Republicans previously overrode Governor Laura Kelly’s veto of House Bill 2004, legislation designed to strengthen the state’s ability to detect and prevent misuse in taxpayer-funded programs.
“This is why we overrode the ridiculous veto of HB 2004, a new law that will help ensure that taxpayer-funded programs are actually providing benefits to eligible Kansans as intended. A new audit showed what we suspected: Under Governor Kelly, Kansas may have paid up to $1.2 million in SNAP benefits to people outside the state. Is this what the Kelly Cover-Up was hiding? Kansans deserve better stewardship of their tax dollars, and House Republicans took decisive action to stop exactly this kind of misuse.”
