A Minnesota millionaire was able to receive more than $6,000 in taxpayer-funded food stamps after qualifying through a little-known state rule, highlighting how eligibility for the program can extend beyond traditional income limits.

Rob Undersander, a retired engineer who volunteers helping seniors navigate government benefits, applied for assistance in 2016 in Stearns County despite exceeding standard asset thresholds and was approved within weeks.

He went on to receive payments for 19 months, totaling more than $6,000.

Undersander said he applied to test the system after discovering during training that Minnesota eligibility could be based on income alone, allowing people with substantial assets to qualify. He added that his low retirement income made him eligible despite his savings, and he later donated the money to charity. 

‘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.’

He testified before the Minnesota House Public Safety Committee on March 24 during a hearing on a SNAP reform bill introduced by GOP state Representative Pam Altendorf.

‘I have purchased lobster and filet mignon on my EBT card,’ he told Fox News Digital. ‘Isn't that crazy?’

His case has drawn renewed attention as Minnesota grapples with a wider public benefits fraud scandal that officials warn could reach tens of billions of dollars, with lawmakers weighing tighter eligibility rules. 

Under federal rules, people can access the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, either by meeting financial thresholds or by qualifying for other welfare-related benefits.

States are given flexibility in determining what counts as a qualifying benefit, which can include non-cash services such as informational materials or access to support programs.

That flexibility stems from guidance introduced in 1999 under the Bill Clinton administration and later expanded during the Barack Obama administration.

The policy is commonly referred to as Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility and is currently used in more than 40 states and Washington, DC.

Government data shows that SNAP serves tens of millions of Americans each year, including working families, children, older adults and people with disabilities.

The program is also subject to annual reviews that track payment accuracy, including both overpayments and underpayments.

SNAP spending reached $128 billion in 2021 and $127 billion in 2022, driven in part by expanded access during the pandemic.

Last year, the program cost $99.8 billion, with participants receiving an average of $187 in monthly benefits, according to federal data.

In Minnesota, benefits totaled nearly $725 million in 2020 before rising to almost $2 billion in 2021, marking a 174 percent increase in a single year.

A federal policy set to take effect in 2027 will require states with higher payment error rates to share a portion of SNAP costs, a shift that could prompt some states to revisit how eligibility is determined.

A proposed bill in Minnesota would tighten eligibility rules by requiring stricter income and asset verification before applicants can enroll.

Over the past decade, Undersander has become a vocal advocate for reform, including testifying before Congress, but has said little has changed.

Some states have already moved to scale back expanded eligibility rules, while federal officials have proposed changes in the past, including during the administration of Donald Trump.

Undersander's case underscores how current rules can operate in practice, particularly in states that have adopted broader eligibility standards.

The Daily Mail has reached out to Undersander, Tim Walz's office, Representative Altendorf, and Minnesota's Department of Children, Family and Youth.