A Minnesota resident who has highlighted incredible government fraud by showing how he qualified for food stamps despite being a millionaire says flaws in the system amount to “fraud by design.”
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Rob Undersander, a retired engineer, described how he was able to access Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits through what he views as a major loophole — one he hopes state officials will address as Minnesota confronts a growing fraud crisis.
Undersander, who now volunteers to assist seniors in understanding government benefits, said he first became aware during training sessions that SNAP eligibility in Minnesota was determined solely by income, without considering assets. Because his retirement income appeared low on paper, he realized he could qualify despite owning significant savings and property.
To demonstrate the issue, Undersander applied for SNAP benefits in Stearns County in 2016 and was approved within a matter of weeks. Over the following year, he collected thousands of dollars in benefits, which he later donated to charity, saying his goal was to expose weaknesses in the system.
“I strongly support SNAP benefits for truly needy individuals, but when we have nearly one in seven Americans receiving food support in the wealthiest nation on earth, with historically low unemployment rate, something is wrong,” Undersander told Fox News Digital. “One might call the current eligibility rules fraud by design. And given the current climate of fraud and abuse of taxpayer-funded benefits in Minnesota, I’m hoping that there will be a new bipartisan effort to reduce and eliminate both.”
Undersander will testify Tuesday before the Minnesota House Public Safety Committee as part of a hearing on a proposed SNAP reform bill introduced by Republican state Rep. Pam Altendorf.
The legislation aims to strengthen eligibility requirements by implementing more rigorous income and asset verification standards before applicants can receive benefits.
More than a decade after first drawing attention to the issue, Undersander has continued to advocate for reform — including testifying before Congress — but says policymakers have yet to act.
“I have purchased lobster and filet mignon on my EBT card,” Undersander said. “Isn’t that crazy?”
Federal spending on SNAP surged during the COVID-19 pandemic. “During former President Joe Biden’s administration, federal spending on SNAP climbed to record highs at $128 billion in 2021 and $127 billion in 2022, largely driven by COVID-19 relief measures that expanded access to food assistance,” FOX Business previously reported.
According to federal data, SNAP expenditures totaled $99.8 billion last year, with recipients receiving an average monthly benefit of $187, adds Fox News.
Data from Altendorf’s office show that Minnesota distributed roughly $725 million in SNAP benefits in 2020, but that figure rose sharply to nearly $2 billion in 2021 — a 174% increase within a single year.