If you’ve been following recent news in Ģ����Ƶ about the —better known as SNAP or food stamps—you might have heard an alarming number: 

Ģ����Ƶ’s SNAP payment error rate was 15.21% in 2025.

�ճ󲹳�’s . And under new federal rules, it could cost Ģ����Ƶ hundreds of millions of dollars.

So what does the error rate mean for taxpayers, families, and the people who administer SNAP?

And what are Ģ����Ƶ lawmakers doing to reduce it?

What Does the SNAP Error Rate Measure?

A SNAP payment error happens when a household receives more or less in benefits than it should have. In 2025, 13.62% of Ģ����Ƶ’s SNAP payments were overpayments, and 1.59% were underpayments. Added together, these two percentages total the state’s error rate.

In April of 2025, about 1.88 million Ģ����Ƶns relied on SNAP assistance to feed their families. That means that over 255,000 payments were too high, while about 30,000 were too low.

It’s important to note that making an error isn’t the same thing as committing fraud. Fraud is intentional. SNAP payment errors are usually unintentional and can happen when a household’s information changes, an eligibility worker makes a mistake, or the system that administers the program calculates benefits incorrectly.

Why Is the Error Rate Getting Attention Now?

The federal government has historically paid the full cost of SNAP benefits.

But with the passage of the in 2025, most states with SNAP error rates of 6% or higher will have to pay a share of their residents’ benefits starting in October of 2027. The higher the error rate, the higher the state’s share will be:

• Error rate below 6%: state will pay 0% of SNAP benefits
• Error rate from 6% to 8%: state will pay 5% of SNAP benefits
• Error rate from 8% to 10%: state will pay 10% of SNAP benefits
• Error rate of 10% or higher: state will pay 15% of SNAP benefits

At Ģ����Ƶ’s current SNAP payment error rate of 15.21%, the state could soon face a cost of about $500 million a year to make sure everyone receives their payments. 

This creates a big potential burden for taxpayers because Ģ����Ƶ could have to raise taxes or cut public services to increase revenues enough to pay the state’s share of SNAP benefits. 

For families who use SNAP payments to help put food on the table, the discovery of an incorrect benefit amount—either too high or too low—could create uncertainty as they work to manage a tight budget. They might be especially worried about having to pay something back if they’ve been receiving overpayments. 

The high error rate also has SNAP recipients wondering whether they’ll face changes to eligibility requirements or even reduced access to the program if the state isn’t able to cover all the new costs.

But the federal government has granted Ģ����Ƶ and other states with error rates over 13.34% permission to delay the start of their SNAP cost-sharing until October of 2028. 

That extra year creates a window of opportunity for Ģ����Ƶ’s leaders to address the issue, but they still need to act quickly.

What Can Ģ����Ƶ Do to Reduce Its Error Rate?

Lawmakers are already making key changes that should lower Ģ����Ƶ’s SNAP error rate: 

• They increased funding for SNAP in the new state budget that took effect in July of 2026, including $6.9 million specifically dedicated to reducing the error rate. 
• They’re expanding administrative staff training on the complicated SNAP eligibility rules and empowering case workers to conduct more thorough case reviews. 
• They’ve submitted waiver requests to the federal government to allow the state to automate more of the eligibility process.

Moving forward, state leaders are also planning to improve , the online system Ģ����Ƶns use to apply for and manage SNAP and other public benefits. Better technology should make it easier for families to submit information correctly and for eligibility workers to process cases accurately.

And as lawmakers implement these SNAP system improvements, they could also explore . That would make it easier for someone receiving public assistance to gain skills, find a job, and become self-sufficient—so they can thrive without welfare benefits.

What’s the True Measure of a Successful Welfare Program?

Safety net programs like SNAP are vital to the well-being of people and communities across Ģ����Ƶ. They support individuals and families when they face challenges like disabilities or temporary hardships. 

So it’s crucial that these programs operate correctly, but it’s also essential to make sure they achieve their ultimate goal. 

After all, the true measure of a program’s success isn’t just a low error rate—it’s the ability of that program to help break cycles of poverty and make it easier, not harder, for Ģ����Ƶns and their families to flourish.

Additional Resources

Alliance for Opportunity

CBS News

Ģ����Ƶ Budget & Policy Institute

Ģ����Ƶ Recorder

U.S. Food and Nutrition Administration

U.S. Food and Nutrition Administration

U.S. Food and Nutrition Administration

The post What Is Ģ����Ƶ’s SNAP Error Rate? And What Can Policymakers Do Ģ����Ƶ It? appeared first on For Opportunity.

Table of Contents

• What are welfare work requirements?
• What are the new work requirements for Medicaid?
• What are the current Medicaid work requirements in Ģ����Ƶ?
• What are the new work requirements for SNAP (food stamps)?
• What are the pros and cons of work requirements?
• What else can policymakers do?

Big changes are in process for some recipients of and (SNAP or food stamps) benefits and for the state governments that administer the programs. 

Medicaid is the nation’s largest safety net (government assistance or benefits, public assistance, or welfare) program. It helps cover medical costs for families with limited incomes, older adults, pregnant women, and people with disabilities. Recent data shows that about 71 million Americans are enrolled in Medicaid.

SNAP, the second largest government assistance program, helps low-income families buy food. Around 42 million Americans currently rely on SNAP benefits.

With the passage of the (OBBB) in July 2025, more recipients of Medicaid and SNAP benefits will have to work or engage in other qualifying activities to receive the vital support they need. 

With the new work requirements, lawmakers aim to encourage people who can work to join the workforce and ultimately lift themselves and their families out of poverty. But for the requirements to have the desired impact, both state governments and beneficiaries will have to figure out how to successfully navigate the updated programs. Challenges lie ahead for everyone involved.

What are welfare work requirements?

Work requirements for SNAP and Medicaid require some recipients to work, train, or volunteer for a certain number of hours per month to remain eligible for benefits.

The requirements generally apply to “able-bodied adults” who receive public assistance. The federal government defines able-bodied adults as most adults under age 65 who aren’t disabled and who don’t have a dependent child under a certain age. 

The new federal law says states have to adopt these work requirements, but the states are the primary administrators of Medicaid and SNAP. As a result, the states will verify recipients’ documentation of qualifying activities or their exemption status.

What are the Medicaid work requirements under the new federal law?

Beginning January 1, 2027, some able-bodied Medicaid recipients ages 19-64 will have to meet work requirements. 

To be eligible for benefits, recipients will have to take part in 80 hours per month of qualifying activities, including:

• Full- or part-time employment
• Job or vocational training programs
• Community service or volunteer opportunities
• Higher education programs

States will redetermine the eligibility of Medicaid recipients every six months. 

Several groups of individuals will be exempt from meeting the work requirements, including, among others:

• People who care for a child under 14 years of age
• Pregnant women or those who need postpartum medical care
• Caretakers of a disabled relative
• People who have a disability or health condition that prevents them from fulfilling the work requirement
• Current or former foster children under the age of 26
• Native Americans and Alaska Natives
• People who are incarcerated or have been in the last three months
• Veterans with a 100% disability rating

The OBBB also provides a temporary opt-out process (known as a waiver) for states with an unemployment rate over 8% or 1.5 times the national unemployment rate. These states’ citizens could struggle to meet the work requirements because of particularly high barriers to work.

The states will get more specific implementation and reporting instructions from the federal government in June 2026, and they could then decide to apply more restrictive work requirements than those in the OBBB.

What are the current Medicaid work requirements in Ģ����Ƶ?

Ģ����Ƶ 2.2 million Ģ����Ƶns were enrolled in Medicaid as of May 2025, and around 67% of the adult beneficiaries were already working. 

Ģ����Ƶ has a head start compared to many other states that don’t have previous experience with Medicaid work requirements. The state implemented the program in 2023 to provide valuable health care assistance to low-income Ģ����Ƶns who aren’t eligible for traditional Medicaid.   

The Pathways to Coverage program supports adults ages 19-64 whose household income is less than 100% of the federal poverty line. To receive benefits, recipients have to take part in 80 hours per month of qualifying activities similar to those listed above. 

The Pathways program has slightly different exemptions than those in the OBBB. For example, adults are exempt if they take care of a child under age 6 instead of age 14. Recipients also only have to verify their exemptions or their involvement in qualifying activities when they apply for benefits and when they renew their application each year. 

Both administrators and enrollees have run into challenges with the Pathways program, but Ģ����Ƶ’s previous experience with work requirements will be an advantage going forward. It’s important to note, though, that the current requirements for the Pathways program may change with the implementation of the OBBB.

What are the SNAP work requirements under the new federal law?

Many SNAP recipients faced new work requirements as of November 1, 2025. The groups of people below now have to meet these requirements: 

• Able-bodied adults ages 18-64 without dependent children (in the past, this only applied to people through age 54)
• Parents whose youngest child is 14 or older 
• Veterans
• People experiencing homelessness
• Former foster children 

Like with Medicaid, individuals can meet the work requirement by working, volunteering, or participating in an approved educational program for at least 80 hours per month. People who aren’t able to meet these requirements can only receive SNAP benefits for three months every three years. 

States can also be more restrictive with the work requirements, but they can only temporarily opt out of the enforcement of these requirements if their unemployment rate is 1.5 times the national average. 

In Ģ����Ƶ in particular, about 1.3 million people, or over 705,000 households, receive food stamps each month. Ģ����Ƶ 69% of these households have kids, and 28% include an older adult or a person with a disability. It’s noteworthy that about 37% of Ģ����Ƶ’s SNAP recipients already live in households with a working family member. 

What are the pros and cons of work requirements?

The updated SNAP and Medicaid work requirements will bring both opportunities and challenges to beneficiaries and state governments.

Pros:

• Family and community well-being: When people take rewarding jobs, they’re setting foot on a pathway out of poverty and toward self-sufficiency. The families of those who work are also more stable, and strong families can change entire communities for the better. 
• Health benefits: Work brings a sense of dignity, purpose, and self-worth to people. As a result, working adults often experience less anxiety, fewer symptoms of depression, a decreased risk of suicide, and lower mortality rates. The children of employed people also tend to have better mental and physical health.
• Private health insurance options: Some of the people who join the workforce will become eligible for private health insurance through their employers. This will both bring stability to workers and their families and reduce the number of Medicaid recipients.
• Local economic growth: Increased labor force participation helps businesses grow and thrive. This then boosts local economies and spreads greater prosperity to surrounding areas.

Cons:

• Barriers to work: Many recipients of government benefits, including those who are able-bodied, face multiple barriers to work. These can include a lack of childcare, a lack of transportation, and age-related biases. Some Americans who rely on Medicaid and SNAP also live in rural or impoverished areas. These communities often have fewer jobs and educational or volunteer opportunities that would enable people to meet the work requirements close to home. 
• Difficulties with reporting work or exemptions: Many Medicaid and SNAP recipients could face hardships related to the reporting requirements. Administrative hurdles, a lack of internet access, and the difficulty of documenting exemptions or unstable earnings may cause people to lose benefits.
• High administrative costs: Implementing and enforcing work requirements demands significant administrative resources from state agencies. States will need to act quickly and efficiently to prepare to verify both the eligibility and ongoing work status of public assistance recipients.
• Benefits cliffs: Without additional reforms, work requirements put people at risk of experiencing benefits cliffs. By taking a job, an individual’s income could increase too much to qualify for assistance, but it still might not be enough to cover all the essential needs like food, health care, housing, and child care. This could leave people worse off, despite their efforts to meet the requirements. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that around 5.3 million people could lose much needed Medicaid support and about 2.4 million people could lose essential SNAP benefits because of this difficult situation.

What else can policymakers do to reform the safety net?

Work is crucial to overall well-being because it’s a gateway to upward mobility and a better future. Many public assistance recipients who can work should be able to meet work requirements and find rewarding opportunities. But these requirements are only a first step. 

To spark real change for those who are struggling, state lawmakers should explore a to managing government benefits and workforce services. With this strategy, both benefits programs and job training assistance would be linked together. This would allow states to connect people to work while ensuring they receive the vital support they need. 

Ultimately, a One Door policy goes far beyond work requirements. It has the power to provide public assistance recipients with a clearer path into the workforce and toward financial independence. This, in turn, will help people realize their full potential as human beings and find opportunities to truly flourish.

Additional resources

Alliance for Opportunity

Alliance for Opportunity

Alliance for Opportunity

Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

Ģ����Ƶ Budget and Policy Institute

Are work requirements good or bad?
Ģ����Ƶ Center for Opportunity

Ģ����Ƶ Department of Human Services

Ģ����Ƶ Pathways to Coverage

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

KFF

KFF

Medicaid.gov

Sutherland Institute

U.S. Department of Agriculture

USAFacts

USAFacts

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