States Face Higher SNAP Costs as New Cost-Share Rule Starts
Beginning Thursday, states must cover 75% of SNAP administrative costs, up from the historical 50-50 federal-state split, as federal funding for those operational costs is cut in half. The change stems from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, enacted in July 2025, and is projected to reduce federal SNAP spending by $16.9 billion over five years. Advocacy groups estimate individual states could need $3 million to $670 million to fully offset the loss, with California, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas and Michigan hit hardest. A second change looms in October 2027, when states with SNAP payment error rates at or above 6% may have to start paying a share of food benefit costs themselves, a shift analysts warn could push some states toward program cuts or withdrawal.
State agencies administering SNAP must absorb significantly higher administrative costs starting immediately, forcing budget tradeoffs that could affect eligibility workers, error-rate performance, and program access for low-income beneficiaries who often overlap with Medicaid populations.
Finance
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