Speaking of welfare programs gone awry, EPIC has released another jaw-dropping report on the epidemic of fraud in the food stamp program. Because the feds pay most of the cost, the states and cities regard this as free money that “stimulates the local economy.” In other words, they welcome the fraudsters. The chart below shows that the number of food stamp recipients who are exempt from federal income or asset limits has tripled since 2010.

The latest data only goes through 2022, so it’s a good bet the numbers are a lot worse now.

44 states (including Washington, DC) do not follow the federal rules for Food Stamp eligibility. Many of these states allow benefits for households with a gross income of 200 percent of the federal poverty line (versus the 130 percent limit in the underlying law) and completely waive the asset limits.

Only seven states currently follow the federal eligibility standards for Food Stamps.

By the way, waiving the asset test means you can drive a Porsche and still get food stamps. We commend the seven states that enforce income and asset tests: Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, and Wyoming.