Pennsylvania Taxpayers Could Be on the Hook for Hundreds of Millions of Dollars to Fund SNAP Benefits to Help Pay for Trump’s Tax Cuts for the Wealthy

The federal government in late June released state-by-state data on payment errors in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Under new rules passed in President Trump’s ‘big beautiful bill’ last year, the report suggests major consequences for Pennsylvania, its taxpayers and SNAP beneficiaries starting next year. 

“When the cost-sharing requirement for SNAP benefit costs begins on October 1, 2027, the share of benefits that each state will be required to pay is based on the state’s SNAP ‘error rate’ for either fiscal year 2025 or 2026, at the option of the state,” said Katie Bergh, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities’ senior policy analyst on food assistance. “Pennsylvania’s fiscal year 2025 SNAP payment error rate was 9.21 percent (comprised of an 8.03 percent overpayment rate and a 1.18 percent underpayment rate).”