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Arizona's food stamp program sees largest decline in US. Here's why

By Luisa Santos Martinez

SNAP supporters said the state should proceed carefully to avoid kicking out people who truly need the help, and that overpayments seen in SNAP error rates don't necessarily mean someone is trying to game the system.

Take gig workers, said Joseph Palomino, executive director of the liberal-leaning Arizona Center for Economic Progress. A rideshare driver might earn money by working many hours one week, but not make the same amount the next week, a scenario that would impact SNAP eligibility, he said.

"I think we have to understand SNAP is a complex program that is meant to be so, and it's also meant to be flexible," he said.

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