SNAP FEDERAL COST SHIFT FORCES IL TO PAY UP TO $700M

For Immediate Release:

June 26, 2026

Contact:

Jaclyn Driscoll

jaclyn@sgstrategies.com | (217) 371-7373

**Media Interviews Available Upon Request**

Just-Released Federal Cost Shift Data Forces the State of Illinois to Pay Hundreds of Millions to Keep SNAP Program Alive

Save Our SNAP coalition calls on Congress to reverse nationwide cost shift and Illinois leaders to prepare to save SNAP in future state budgets

ILLINOIS – More than 1.7 million Illinoisans are caught in the middle of an unprecedented cost shift from the federal government that requires the state to pay up to $700 million to keep the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in operation. 

For more than 60 years, SNAP benefits have been fully funded by the federal government. H.R. 1 (the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill”), signed into law last year, shifts a significant share of those costs to states for the first time in the program’s history, forcing states to either absorb the expense or risk a never-before-seen hunger crisis for people and families who need food assistance. 

“The Save Our SNAP Coalition is calling on federal leaders to reverse the SNAP cost shift nationwide, and is urging Illinois leaders to continue the progress they’ve made despite the federal government’s cuts to protect SNAP for Illinois families,” said Nolan Downey, spokesperson for the Save Our SNAP coalition. “Without action, the consequences extend far beyond individuals and families in Illinois. SNAP brings billions of dollars into Illinois communities each year, supporting local grocery stores, retailers, farmers and more.”

The amount states must pay is based on the federal government’s just-released annual SNAP payment error rate data – one of many routine quality-control measures that historically helped states understand where to make improvements in the administrative process. Under the new federal law, it now determines how much states have to pay to keep the SNAP program alive.

Based on Illinois’ payment error rate of 14.67%, the state will be required to pay up to $700 million annually beginning October 1, 2028 to continue providing SNAP benefits to children, seniors, people with disabilities, veterans and working families. 

Based on USDA fiscal year 2025 calculations, 36 U.S. states and territories are expected to cover between 5 and 15% of SNAP benefit costs beginning October 1, 2027. High population states like Florida, New York, Texas and California are expected to pay anywhere between $725 million and $1.9 billion to keep SNAP active in their states.

Most errors involve SNAP eligible households receiving slightly too little or too much assistance because of administrative or paperwork mistakes. 

The error rate’s penalty mechanism isn’t new, but the scale of it is. While states with persistently high error rates had to pay penalties previously, a majority of states will now have to pay massive, unprecedented penalties tied to their error rate. All while facing cuts in federal funding for the administrative process that historically helped them keep the error rate down.

“The federal government has made a choice to shift costs onto states, putting food assistance for millions of people at risk,” said Downey. “The people who pay the price for this decision are not lawmakers in D.C. They’re parents trying to stretch every dollar to make ends meet. They’re seniors on fixed incomes trying to afford the rising costs of groceries. They’re veterans whose paychecks already don’t go far enough. They are people with disabilities facing a social safety net that can already be burdensome to navigate. No family should have to wonder where their next meal is coming from because of a technical government formula.” 

These new costs come on top of other SNAP cuts that have already taken effect. Nearly 120,000 Illinoisans lost food assistance on May 1 because of expanded federal eligibility requirements. 

“Losing SNAP is not an option,” said Downey. “The devastating consequences would be felt beyond just kitchen tables. It would be felt in food pantries, grocery stores and throughout our state’s economy. Illinois must do everything possible to protect food assistance here at home, including preparing to keep SNAP intact in the FY29 state budget. October 2028 will be here before we know it, and food security for 1.7 m Illinoisans is on the line.” 

Learn more about recent SNAP changes and join our advocacy at: https://saveoursnap.org/ 

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The Save Our Snap Coalition is a statewide alliance of 100+ organizations united to protect and strengthen the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in Illinois. ​The unprecedented attacks to SNAP by the federal government will lead to catastrophic levels of hunger in our communities. ​Our collective action can help mitigate harm and build a brighter future where all Illinois neighbors have the food they need to thrive.