Copyright indiatimes
NYT News ServiceSNAP benefits SNAP benefits: Millions of Americans relying on food assistance could soon see their benefits at risk as the federal government puts states on notice: fix errors in distributing the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funds or lose federal support.SNAP funding warning puts states under pressureStarting with the 2028 fiscal year, states that record an error rate higher than 6% will begin to lose federal funding for SNAP, as per a report. If this rule were enforced today, only eight states would meet the requirement and receive full funding. The nationwide average error rate last year was nearly 11%, almost double the new threshold, as per The Hill report.ALSO READ: Meta layoffs: Here's the email it sent to its employees it just sackedStates could lose millions for high SNAP error ratesUnder the new rule, states that fail to bring their error rate below 6% will be required to cover between 5% and 15% of the cost of SNAP benefits themselves, as per the report. The higher the error rate, the greater the share a state must pay. However, those with especially high mistake rates will have until 2030 to comply, according to The Hill.The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) warns that the cost shift could force some states to reduce or eliminate benefits for about 300,000 people. In addition, child nutrition program subsidies could decrease for about 96,000 children.Live EventsALSO READ: How NASA’s technology changed daily life on Earth: Innovations behind selfie, GPS, medical tools & moreSNAP director warns of major consequencesGina Plata-Nino, interim director for SNAP at the Food Research and Action Center, said in an interview with The New York Times, “Even states that are going to try to do their best are going to face really difficult choices. And unless this is undone, it really is the end — and I’m not being dramatic, it’s a reality — of SNAP as we know it,” as quoted by The Hill.Alaska faces the biggest SNAP compliance challengeAmong all states, Alaska faces the biggest challenge. The state’s most recent error rate of 25% is the highest in the country, though that’s still a major improvement from 60% reported the year before, as per The Hill report.According to Alaska’s Department of Health, the high rate reflects the state’s efforts to prioritize keeping food assistance flowing even when documentation was incomplete. Spokesperson Megan Darrow told Anchorage Daily News, “While this approach helped protect access to food assistance, it increased the risk of procedural and administrative errors,” as quoted in the report.Other states also facing high error rates, ranging between 14% and 16%, include Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, and Oregon. These states risk losing part of their SNAP funding unless they make significant improvements, as per The Hill report.Error rates include both overpayments and underpayments, though overpayments are reportedly more common, reported The Hill.Only eight states meet federal SNAP accuracy standardsAccording to the most recent data for the 2024 fiscal year, only Idaho, Nebraska, Nevada, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Wisconsin, and Wyoming met the 6% threshold, as per the report. One Big Beautiful Bill brings major SNAP program changesThe stricter error-rate requirement is one of several major changes introduced by the One Big Beautiful Bill, passed earlier this year. States must comply with multiple new provisions by November, or risk losing even more federal support.SNAP, formerly known as the Food Stamp Program, currently provides food assistance to about 42 million Americans, or roughly one in every eight people nationwide.FAQsWhy are states being warned about SNAP errors?Because many states are making too many payment mistakes, the federal government is threatening to cut SNAP funding, as per The Hill report.Which states currently meet the SNAP accuracy requirement?Idaho, Nebraska, Nevada, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Wisconsin, and Wyoming, as per The Hill report.Add as a Reliable and Trusted News Source Add Now! (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel) Read More News onSNAP benefitssnap benefits food stampsfood stamps shut downfood stampsgovernment shutdown newsshutdown newsSNAPSNAP benefits novembergovernment shutdown food stampssnap benefits shutdown (Catch all the US News, UK News, Canada News, International Breaking News Events, and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Download The Economic Times News App to get Daily International News Updates....moreless (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)Read More News onSNAP benefitssnap benefits food stampsfood stamps shut downfood stampsgovernment shutdown newsshutdown newsSNAPSNAP benefits novembergovernment shutdown food stampssnap benefits shutdown(Catch all the US News, UK News, Canada News, International Breaking News Events, and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Download The Economic Times News App to get Daily International News Updates....moreless Explore More Stories123
