General · Texas behavioral health news
Texas expected to pay $700 million in penalties to the feds for SNAP errors by 2027 - KSAT
Texas HHSC (Google News) · April 8, 2026
In plain language
Texas may face over $700 million in federal penalties by 2027 if it does not reduce errors in its food stamp program, known as SNAP. These penalties are part of new federal rules designed to lower the rate of overpayments or underpayments to families. Currently, about 3.1 million Texans, including 1.5 million children, rely on these benefits for groceries. State officials are now working on ways to improve accuracy and better detect fraud to avoid these high costs.
AI-generated summary of the source article. Not medical advice.
Key takeaways
- Texas must lower its SNAP payment error rate to below 6% by 2027 to avoid major financial penalties.
- The state currently has a 9% error rate, which includes both overpayments and underpayments to families.
- New federal rules will require Texas to pay a larger share of the program's administrative costs.
- About 3.1 million low-income Texans currently receive an average of $400 per month in SNAP benefits.
- The state recently banned the use of SNAP benefits to purchase candy or sugary drinks.
Texas expected to pay $700 million in penalties to the feds for SNAP errors by 2027 KSAT
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