States Brace for Increased Expenses Due to SNAP Error Rates

WHO:

ABC News - Chloe Green, assistant director for policy at the American Public Human Services Association.

ABC News - Brooke Rollins, Agriculture Secretary.

WHAT:

ABC News - The national SNAP payment error rate stood at 10.62 percent in Fiscal Year 2025, according to the USDA.

ABC News - States with error rates of at least 13.34% in 2026 could have their cost-sharing requirements delayed until the 2030 fiscal year.

ABC News - States with high error rates will have to make choices that could impact their residents, including potential cuts to public schools, law enforcement, or mental health care.

ABC News - A law signed by Trump last July expanded requirements for many adult SNAP recipients to work, volunteer, or participate in job training.

ABC News - States with error rates of at least 13.34% in 2026 could have their cost-sharing requirements delayed until the 2030 fiscal year.

ABC News - States with high error rates will have to make choices that could impact their residents, including potential cuts to public schools, law enforcement, or mental health care.

ABC News - States with error rates between 6%-8% will have to eventually pay 5% of the benefit costs, while those with error rates between 8%-10% will have to pay 10%, and those over 10% will have to pay 15%.

ABC News - Missouri residents received about $1.5 billion of SNAP benefits in 2024, which could mean Missouri might have to cover $150 million of the costs if the same amount is paid in the future.

ABC News - States with error rates of at least 13.34% last year will receive a delay in their cost-share requirements until at least the 2029 fiscal year, benefiting Alaska and other jurisdictions.

ABC News - More than a quarter of the states responding to a survey said they could consider narrowing eligibility policies, and four states said they could consider withdrawing from SNAP entirely.

Truthout - Nearly 30 percent of US state governments believe they may be forced to narrow SNAP eligibility to cope with new costs.

ABC News - Several dozen states could face millions in costs due to high error rates in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

ABC News - Nine states will not have to pay toward SNAP benefits due to low error rates.

ABC News - More than 37 million people received SNAP benefits in March, a decrease of nearly 5 million people (over 11%) from the previous year.

ABC News - States with error rates of 6% or greater could have to pay a portion of SNAP benefits starting in October 2027.

ABC News - South Dakota had the lowest error rate at about 2.5%, while Nebraska had an error rate of 5.9%.

ABC News - Missouri had an error rate of 8.7% and could have to cover 10% of SNAP benefit costs starting in October 2027.

ABC News - Alaska had the highest error rate of over 23% and will receive a delay in cost-share requirements until at least the 2029 fiscal year.

ABC News - States with error rates of at least 13.34% in 2026 could have their cost-sharing requirements delayed until the 2030 fiscal year.

WHERE:

ABC News - States across the United States, including South Dakota, Nebraska, Missouri, and Alaska.

WHEN:

ABC News - The annual cost-sharing requirement for SNAP benefits begins in October 2027.

ABC News - Federal law requires states to start paying 75% of SNAP administrative costs in October.

ABC News - States with the highest error rates will receive a delay in cost-share requirements until at least the 2029 fiscal year.

WHY:

ABC News - The high error rates in SNAP are attributed to mistakes made by both SNAP recipients and program administrators.

ABC News - The new work and cost-share requirements are intended to increase accountability for participants and states and provide federal savings that offset new tax cuts.

HOW:

ABC News - A recent survey of state agencies that run SNAP found that most already are analyzing the root causes of their payment errors, with mistakes attributed evenly to SNAP recipients and program administrators.

ABC News - A recent survey of state agencies that run SNAP found that most already are analyzing the root causes of their payment errors.

ABC News - States are analyzing the root causes of their payment errors and planning to increase staff focused on eliminating errors.

ABC News - More than a quarter of states are considering narrowing eligibility policies or withdrawing from SNAP entirely if forced to pay a portion of benefits.

(UPDATED June 25, 2026 17:41 UTC)

The national SNAP payment error rate reached 10.62 percent in Fiscal Year 2025, according to the USDA. States facing error rates of at least 13.34 percent in 2026 may see their cost-sharing requirements postponed until the 2030 fiscal year, forcing them to make tough decisions that could affect public schools, law enforcement, and mental health care. A recent survey revealed that most state agencies managing SNAP are currently investigating the root causes of these payment errors, which are attributed equally to both SNAP recipients and program administrators.

(UPDATED June 25, 2026 15:56 UTC)

A law signed by Trump last July expanded the requirements for many adult SNAP recipients to work, volunteer, or participate in job training. States facing error rates of at least 13.34% in 2026 may see their cost-sharing requirements delayed until the 2030 fiscal year, forcing them to make tough decisions that could affect public schools, law enforcement, or mental health care. A recent survey of state agencies running SNAP revealed that most are already analyzing the root causes of their payment errors.

(UPDATED June 25, 2026 10:03 UTC)

States with high error rates in their SNAP programs are facing tough decisions that could affect essential services like public schools, law enforcement, and mental health care. For example, Missouri residents received about $1.5 billion in SNAP benefits in 2024, which could mean the state might need to cover $150 million of those costs if the same amount is distributed in the future. Additionally, nearly 30 percent of U.S. state governments are considering narrowing SNAP eligibility or even withdrawing from the program altogether to manage these new financial burdens.

(UPDATED June 25, 2026 08:08 UTC)

Several dozen states could face significant financial burdens due to high error rates in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, while nine states will avoid these costs thanks to their low error rates. Starting in October 2027, states with error rates of 6% or higher, like Missouri with 8.7%, may have to cover a portion of SNAP benefits, while Alaska, which has the highest error rate at over 23%, will see a delay in cost-share requirements until at least the 2029 fiscal year. As states work to address these issues, many are analyzing the root causes of their payment errors and considering changes to eligibility policies, with some even contemplating withdrawing from SNAP entirely if they are forced to share in the costs.