Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Resource | Research | Payment Accuracy and Program Integrity The Extent of Trafficking in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: 2009-2011

Trafficking of SNAP benefits occurs when SNAP recipients sell their benefits for cash to food retailers, often at a discount. Although trafficking does not increase costs to the federal government, it is a diversion of program benefits from their intended purpose of helping low-income families access a nutritious diet. This report, the latest in a series of periodic analyses, provides estimates of the extent of trafficking during the period 2009 through 2011.

08/01/2013
Page updated: October 14, 2021