WASHINGTON: US states must cover 75% of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) administrative costs from Thursday, up from 50%, as funding changes reduce federal support.
Previously, Washington and states split operational expenses equally, including staff pay and training. Now, the federal contribution falls by half.
However, the federal government continues to fund food benefits in full. A separate change begins in October 2027, when states may have to contribute if their payment error rate reaches 6%.
That rate measures overpayments and underpayments to recipients. Federal estimates put the reduction in SNAP spending at $16.9 billion over five years.
Meanwhile, the Food Research & Action Centre estimates that individual states need between $3 million and $670 million to replace lost administrative funding.
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The anti-hunger advocacy group identifies California, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas and Michigan as particularly exposed.
Looking at the later benefit-sharing rules, the Centre on Budget and Policy Priorities estimates that nearly half of states could each face costs of at least $100 million.
California and New York could each owe more than $1 billion unless they lower their error rates. Katie Bergh, a senior policy analyst at the think tank, warned that states might seek new revenue.
Other programs or restrict access. Some could also “withdraw from the program entirely”, she said. President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, enacted in July 2025, introduced the changes.
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While the White House maintains that the law preserves and strengthens food assistance, Bergh argues that the previous funding model protected access in poorer states.
The US Department of Agriculture, which administers SNAP, had not responded to a request for comment.
