States are racing against the clock to reduce errors in their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) administration or face significant financial penalties under a law passed last year. The legislation ties federal funding for the program—formerly known as food stamps—to state error rates, with a target of keeping mistakes below 6%.
As of fiscal year 2025, only nine states have achieved that benchmark: Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Nebraska, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. The remaining 41 states are above the threshold, with the national average error rate hovering around 11%.
What are SNAP error rates?
Error rates measure the percentage of SNAP benefits that are paid incorrectly—either too much or too little—due to administrative mistakes. Overpayments are more common than underpayments. The new rule, part of the fiscal responsibility package, penalizes states that fail to keep errors under 6%.
Which states are struggling most?
Alaska has the highest error rate at 23%, though that marks a dramatic improvement from 2023, when it was 60%. The state's Department of Health attributes the high rate to a deliberate policy of prioritizing food assistance continuity over perfect documentation. Spokesperson Megan Darrow told the Anchorage Daily News, "While this approach helped protect access to food assistance, it increased the risk of procedural and administrative errors."
Other states with particularly high error rates include Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, New Mexico, Oregon, and the District of Columbia. These jurisdictions have been granted an extra year to bring their numbers down before penalties kick in.
What are the consequences?
The law does not directly cut benefits for SNAP recipients. Instead, it shifts the financial burden to states, requiring them to cover 5% to 15% of benefit costs depending on their error rate. This indirect pressure may still lead to reduced benefits, as states could pass on the costs. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that as a result, about 300,000 people could see their SNAP benefits reduced or eliminated, and 96,000 children could lose subsidies through child nutrition programs.
Missouri serves as a cautionary example. With an error rate of 8.7% last year, the state would need to cover 10% of SNAP benefit costs starting in October 2027 unless it improves. In 2024, Missouri residents received approximately $1.5 billion in SNAP benefits, meaning the state could owe $150 million—more than the budget for several state prisons.
Broader context
The push to tighten error rates comes alongside broader changes to SNAP. Enrollment has already dropped faster than expected since the passage of the "One Big Beautiful Bill" in 2025, which tightened eligibility requirements. Data shows SNAP participation fell from 42.2 million in May 2025 to 36.6 million in May 2026, a decline of more than 13% in one year, though May data are preliminary.
As states scramble to comply, the political stakes are high. The debate over SNAP funding intersects with midterm campaign battles, where food assistance policy is a potent issue. Meanwhile, early voting surges in key states could shape the response to these cuts.
For now, states have until October 2027 to bring their error rates below 6% or face the financial consequences. The clock is ticking.
