Illinois SNAP Errors Could Cost Taxpayers Up to $700 Million in Penalties
Illinois is at risk of incurring significant penalties under a new federal law due to errors in determining eligibility for food assistance.
To protect both taxpayers and struggling families, the state must improve its administrative accuracy.
Illinois taxpayers could be responsible for millions in penalties if the state makes too many mistakes in food assistance.
The error rate for the Illinois Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), as reported by the Department of Agriculture, was 11.56% in 2024. This rate is higher than 38 other states and exceeds the national average.
- The 11.56% error rate in 2024 could result in penalties of up to $705 million annually for Illinois.
- SNAP underpayments were rare, occurring at a rate of less than 1%.
- Overpayments accounted for 10.6% of Illinois' SNAP errors in 2024.
Following the lead of other states may provide a path forward for Illinois to reduce its error rate and avoid significant penalties.
Author's summary: Illinois faces penalties due to SNAP errors.