LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Fraud seems to be serving up seconds when it comes to Michigan’s food assistance program.

Rep. Jason Woolford (R-Howell) testified on Tuesday that he used a fake name and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s address to navigate the MIBridges website. That’s where residents can apply for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). “I started applying for those benefits using Gov. Whitmer’s address…with a fake name. I was able to bypass the social security alien number and never getting denied benefits and at the very end getting registered to vote.”

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He added,  “Why would we not mandate social security numbers or alien numbers on a website?”

Woolford is one of the lawmakers backing House Bill 4515. It would require photo ID and signature verification for every food stamp benefit card, along with monthly quality control updates from the state health department.

The potential fraud needs a fix and fast. Starting on Oct. 1, 2027, Michigan could face penalties due to recent federal SNAP funding changes via the federal Working People’s Tax Cut Act. Under the Whitmer administration, Michigan’s yearly average SNAP error rate is above 10%. The rate must fall below 6% to avoid federal penalties.

The state spent $3.2 billion on SNAP benefits in 2024; the funds went to one in seven Michiganders.