Nationwide, there were $10.1 billion of improper Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) payments last fiscal year - and Democrat-led states dominated the list of those with the most program waste, data released Wednesday by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) reveal.
The USDA’s report lists each state’s payment error rate (PER) – a measure of program waste – reflecting how accurately the state determines who is eligible for SNAP and how much they should receive.
The national payment error rate for fiscal year (FY) 2025 is 10.62%, well above the congressional threshold of 6% established by Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill (H.R. 1) signed into law last year. The error rate of overpayments (9.28%) far exceeds that of underpayments (1.33%).
Fully 14 of the 18 states with a total payment error rate of at least 10% have Democrat governors. Additionally, the Nation’s Capital (D.C.) has a Democrat mayor and a SNAP payment error rate of 10.66%.
Conversely, 8 of the 10 states with the lowest payment error rates have Republican governors, ranging from South Dakota (2.47%) to Nevada (6.22%).
H.R. 1 imposes financial consequences for states that mismanage taxpayer dollars spent on SNAP. States with error rates at or above the 6% threshold will be responsible for covering up to 15% of their states’ benefits. Currently, the state match is 0%.
States with SNAP payment error rates over 10% will be required to contribute 15% of total benefits, those with rates at least 8% but less than 10% must contribute 10% and those with rates at least 6% but less than 8% must contribute 5%.
In addition to this matching fund requirement, states with error rates above the 6% threshold are required to submit a Corrective Action Plan to USDA’s Food and Nutrition Administration detailing how they will address the root cause of their errors. Some of these states may also be liable for a separate financial penalty as part of the SNAP quality control process.
Only 9 of the nation’s 50 states had a payment error rate beneath the 6% threshold in fiscal year 2025.
“These payment error rates are further proof that state accountability is severely lacking in SNAP,” Agriculture Secretary Brooke L. Rollins said in a statement. “USDA has taken historic action to help interested states curb SNAP waste, and I hope other states, regardless of political leadership, prioritize needy families and the American taxpayer over politics.”
While they’re not fraud rates, SNAP error rates reflect SNAP program waste. There are two types of improper SNAP payments: either an applicant is determined eligible when they are not or an eligible participant is certified to receive either more or less benefits than they are entitled to.
USDA calculates state payment error rates using a statistical analysis called regression. The regression analysis is performed using both the federal and state case review data.
