Maine could face up to $50 million in new SNAP costs after federal data released June 24 showed the state’s food assistance payment error rate reached nearly 11% in fiscal year 2025.
Federal Data Puts Maine Above Limit
The federal government’s latest review found a national SNAP payment error rate of 10.62% for fiscal year 2025. Maine’s rate was close to that figure, with most of its errors involving overpayments. A SNAP payment error does not automatically mean fraud. The measure includes cases where households received too much or too little due to eligibility errors, income changes, missing paperwork, or benefit calculation errors.
Cost-Sharing Rule Raises Stakes
The new federal policy changes how SNAP costs are divided. Food benefits have long been funded by the federal government, while administrative expenses were shared with states. That arrangement is shifting. States with error rates of 6% or higher may have to pay between 5% and 15% of SNAP benefit costs, depending on how far their error rates exceed the threshold.
Advocates Warn Against Restricting Access
Food assistance advocates say the state should focus on simplifying the system, not making the application process harder for eligible residents. Anna Korsen, executive director of Full Plates, Full Potential, said the overpayments are human errors rather than fraud. She said a more accessible and efficient program would reduce mistakes and help eligible Mainers keep their benefits.
Maine DHHS Says It Is Acting
The Maine Department of Health and Human Services says it is working to reduce the error rate before the cost-sharing rule takes effect. The agency has pointed to system modernization and additional staffing. The department is hiring 40 eligibility specialists to help process benefits and improve accuracy. Eligibility workers review income, household size, expenses, and other information that determines monthly food assistance.
SNAP Reaches Thousands of Mainers
SNAP is one of the largest food support programs in Maine. It helps residents buy groceries through electronic benefit cards accepted at authorized stores and markets. Recent state figures show nearly 170,000 Mainers received SNAP benefits. That is roughly one in eight residents statewide, with higher participation in several rural and lower-income counties.
Error Rate Becomes a Deadline
Maine’s immediate goal is clear. The state must lower its SNAP error rate before the Oct. 1, 2027, cost-sharing trigger. Dropping below 10% could reduce the state’s possible share from 15% to 10%. Dropping below 8% could reduce it again. Falling below 6% would avoid the benefit cost-share requirement entirely.
That gives Maine a narrow window to improve accuracy without cutting off eligible residents. The next federal error-rate review will determine whether the state’s modernization work and new eligibility staff are reducing mistakes. For now, Maine remains above the federal threshold. The state’s potential $50 million exposure depends on whether it can bring the SNAP payment error rate down before the first cost-sharing year begins.
