General · Texas behavioral health news
13 Investigates: SNAP errors could cost Texas taxpayers up to $773M - ABC13 Houston
Texas HHSC (Google News) · March 30, 2026
In plain language
The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) is reporting that many residents who receive SNAP benefits are being asked to pay back money they were given by mistake. These errors often happen when the state miscalculates a family's income or makes a processing mistake. While the state admits these are agency errors, the law still requires them to collect the overpaid funds from families. Texas is currently working to reduce these mistakes to avoid high financial penalties from the federal government.
AI-generated summary of the source article. Not medical advice.
Key takeaways
- Texas had a SNAP error rate of over 8 percent in fiscal year 2024.
- The state identified over 1,400 benefit errors caused by the agency itself within a 13-month period.
- Texas could be forced to pay up to $773 million if its error rate does not drop below 6 percent by 2027.
- People who receive overpayments are often required to follow a monthly repayment plan to return the funds.
- Federal data shows the Texas error rate is currently better than the national average despite the high costs.
- HHSC is implementing new staff training and technology-based quality checks to improve payment accuracy.
13 Investigates: SNAP errors could cost Texas taxpayers up to $773M ABC13 Houston
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