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FACT: Payment errors are not fraud – they’re primarily overpayments and underpayments due to clerical errors and outdated recipient information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