Millions of beneficiary families and individuals have been receiving amounts in their SNAP benefit payments that are not quite correct, as revealed by the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), which administers the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), all under the orbit of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Hundreds of thousands of households are being affected by errors in their payments, receiving amounts that do not correspond correctly to their real economic needs.
The problem is that the error rate is too high: according to the FNS, in 2023 the percentage of beneficiaries who received incorrect payments was 11.68%, with 10.03% in overpayments and 1.65% with payments too low in relation to their needs.
SNAP Benefits: Why Am I Receiving Incorrect Amounts?
These errors arise when state agencies incorrectly calculate the eligibility or amount of benefits a household should receive. The FNS has stressed that these discrepancies are mainly due to specific errors in determining eligibility and benefit amounts, rather than fraud.
Washington D.C. recorded the highest rate of underpayments, reaching 4.58%, followed by Maryland with 3.91%. Other states with high underpayment rates include Delaware (3.57%) and Maine (3.41%).
On the other hand, Alaska leads the ranking of overpaid states with a staggering 59.59%, followed by New Jersey with 33.43%. These errors not only affect the integrity of the program, but also put the financial stability of the beneficiaries at risk.
Every Dollar Counts: SNAP Benefits and Their Impact on Low-Income Families
SNAP benefits can change everything for those families who need a boost to round out their economy. These food stamps are essential for many low-income families in America, providing assistance for the purchase of food and other essential items.
These funds, funded by the federal government and administered by state and local authorities, are loaded monthly on electronic benefit transfer cards to be used at participating stores. It is not cash but money digitally delivered to the beneficiaries by means of an EBT card, which works the same as a credit or debit card.
What Should I Do if I Was Given More Money Than I Deserve From SNAP Benefits?
States with high error rates should submit corrective action plans to address the underlying causes of these errors and improve the accuracy of payments. “We are sending a clear message to all states: Accuracy in the SNAP program is non-negotiable,” Long concluded. “We expect state leaders at all levels to fully engage in this effort to improve.”
If you received more money than you are entitled to in SNAP benefits, we recommend that you act immediately, or as soon as possible, to correct the situation and avoid possible legal consequences.
The first thing you should do is contact the local social services agency or the office that administers SNAP benefits in your state. Talk to them and tell them about the error, while providing all the necessary details, such as the amount of extra money received and the period when the error occurred.
Fast and transparent communication can help to solve the problem more easily and demonstrate your good faith, that is, it can save you those undesirable consequences.
After reporting the error, the agency will guide you on what the next steps are to return the funds that were overpaid to you. They may ask you to return all the money in a single amount, or come up with a payment arrangement to do it in several installments. Make sure to keep a record of all communications and transactions made during this process.