Despite new federal data showing Illinois’ Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) error rate continuing to climb, the Pritzker Administration has launched a program offering one-time payments to certain households that recently lost their SNAP benefits, with a cost of $70 million to taxpayers for fiscal year 2027.
Recent federal changes expanded work requirements for SNAP recipients, causing some Illinois residents who did not meet the new eligibility standards to lose their benefits earlier this year. In response, the Administration launched the Families Receiving Emergency Support for Hunger, or FRESH, program on August 1.
The program provides a one-time payment of $400 to eligible households that lost their SNAP benefits. Payments will continue until funding for the program is exhausted.
According to the USDA’s Fiscal Year 2025 data, Illinois’ SNAP payment error rate reached 14.6%, up from 11.56% the previous year. Illinois now has one of the highest SNAP error rates in the country. The error rate includes both overpayments and underpayments.
The federal government has warned that it intends to impose new financial consequences on states with high SNAP error rates. Under new federal rules, states with error rates above 10% are required to repay 15% of the cost of SNAP benefits. States with error rates above 13.5% have until the federal fiscal year 2029 to attempt to correct the errors.
Rather than focusing solely on correcting the administrative failures that have driven Illinois’ SNAP error rate to one of the highest in the nation, the Pritzker Administration is now using state funds to provide payments to households that no longer qualify for federal benefits or did not satisfy the work requirements necessary to remain eligible. The new program raises further questions about whether Illinois is addressing the underlying problems within its SNAP system or simply shifting additional costs onto state taxpayers.
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