SNAP error rates measure the share of benefits that are paid incorrectly, either above or below the amount recipients should receive. Overpayments are more common than underpayments, and recent figures show that most states remain above the federal target.
According to data released in June, the national average SNAP error rate was about 11% in fiscal year 2025. Only nine states recorded error rates below the 6% threshold: Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Nebraska, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
Most States Are Above the Federal SNAP Error Rate Threshold
The latest figures show that the majority of states have not reached the required 6% error rate target. States can choose between their 2025 or 2026 error rates when determining the amount they must pay starting in October 2027.
States with higher error rates will generally face larger payments. Some states with particularly high error rates, including Alaska, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, New Mexico, Oregon and Washington, D.C., will receive additional time to improve their results, with some extensions lasting until 2030.
The 2025 fiscal year was the first year included in the new calculation system. The federal policy links future state contributions to the accuracy of SNAP benefit payments rather than directly reducing assistance for recipients.
States Could Face Large Costs Under the New Funding Rules
The new requirements could create significant financial challenges for states that continue to report high error rates. Missouri illustrates the potential impact. The state recorded an error rate of 8.7% in 2025 and would have to cover 10% of SNAP benefit costs beginning in October 2027 if it does not improve its rate.
Missouri residents received around $1.5 billion in SNAP benefits in 2024, according to federal data. If benefit payments remained at that level, the state could be responsible for about $150 million in costs.
“There are billions of dollars that are at stake that states will have to find the money to be able to pay if they want to continue to operate a SNAP program,” said Chloe Green, assistant director for policy at the American Public Human Services Association.
According to the Congressional Budget Office, some states could respond to the additional costs by reducing or eliminating SNAP benefits for about 300,000 people. The agency also estimates that child nutrition program subsidies could decrease for about 96,000 children.
SNAP Participation Declines as New Requirements Take Effect
More than 37 million people received SNAP benefits nationwide in March, based on preliminary figures from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That number was nearly 5 million lower than the previous year, representing a decline of more than 11%.
The One Big Beautiful Bill has already changed several aspects of SNAP, including expanded work requirements and stricter conditions related to immigration status.
According to The Hill, states with high error rates now face a limited period to improve their performance before the new funding rules begin. The changes will require states to address payment accuracy while preparing for a larger financial role in supporting their SNAP programs.
