Why Did a Wisconsin Family Receive a Minnesota SNAP Card?

The Wilson family, who live in western Wisconsin, opened their mail the other day and got a surprise: a Minnesota SNAP/EBT card, along with activation instructions. The problem is the Wilsons never applied for Minnesota benefits as they don't live in the state. This raises concerns about identity fraud, a misuse of the Wilsons' information, or another state error.

🚨 BREAKING: Wisconsin residents are receiving Minnesota SNAP cards they never applied for.

“Why are you sending SNAP food benefits, to someone who lives in a different state.”

Good job, Democrats. pic.twitter.com/RACFAjj3qI

— Dustin Grage (@GrageDustin) October 20, 2026

Here's more:

The Wilsons say they don’t receive too much mail to their western Wisconsin home, but this recent letter caught their attention. 

“My first concern, [is somebody] using my name, did somebody else apply for this cash benefit in my name?” Deborah Wilson told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS. 

Aside from not living in Minnesota, Wilson says she didn’t apply for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Now, she worries it could be legitimate, as it came with a physical card and instructions on how to activate it — but is it the state making a mistake, or are scammers searching for more information from them?

“Why are you sending Minnesota SNAP food benefits to somebody who lives in a different state? That’s very concerning,” Wilson said, adding, “With all the fraud going on, I didn’t know if that’s what it was. If it’s a scam, I have no idea.”

“I’d love to get to the bottom of it because I do work in Minnesota, and this is my tax-paying dollars. And if you’re sending it out of state, who else are you sending it to?” she questioned. 

Given the rampant welfare fraud in Minnesota, it raises a lot of questions, and we have to wonder if other people were sent Minnesota SNAP/EBT cards and didn't even realize it, perhaps throwing them away as junk mail.

KSTP reported that it reached out to Minnesota officials at the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) and it took the agency more than two days to respond. According to KSTP, DCYF said that it's possible for people who didn't apply to be part of SNAP to receive a card, but "did not share anything specific about the case in question." 

DCYF said an individual such as a friend, relative, or someone with power of attorney or appointed by the courts could get a card if they're named as an "additional user" on a SNAP account. The Wilsons do not believe that applies to them.

In a statement, DCYF also said, "Minnesota EBT food (SNAP) benefits work nationwide at any authorized retailer, including all border states (Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin). However, Minnesota cash assistance benefits face strict regional rules and cannot be used at ATMs or vendors outside of Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, or Wisconsin."

State Rep. Nolan West, who chairs the committee dealing with SNAP-related legislation and other issues called what happened "very concerning."

"We've just seen years and years of neglect in terms of verifying and making sure the tax dollars are going where they're supposed to be going. So I think an audit of these programs is appropriate," he said.

West's co-chair, state Rep. Carlie Kotyza-Witthuhn, said that DCYF is investigating the Wilsons' case. "This is obviously an active investigation," she said. "And I think it's really important not to speculate and let the procedures run through."

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