Wyoming’s Low SNAP Error Rates Keep Program Costs Down

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in Wyoming has reported an error rate below 6 percent for 2025, resulting in significant savings for the state. According to the Wyoming Department of Family services, the SNAP error rate measures how accurately a state determines eligibility for clients, including the number of times SNAP benefits were overpaid or underpaid. According to the USDA, which manages the program at the federal level, the average state error rate for federal fiscal year 2025 was 10.6 percent. Wyoming’s error rate for the same time period was 3.9 percent.

Through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in 2025, the federal government added cost penalties for payment error rates exceeding 6 percent. States at or above the 6 percent threshold will be required to pay 5 to 15 percent of benefit costs for the state, which will amount to millions of dollars. The federal government currently pays 50 percent of administrative costs for SNAP in Wyoming, and 100 percent of the benefit.

The administrative cost share will change to 25 percent federal, 75 percent state on October 1 to comply with the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Administrative costs include processing applications and determining eligibility, and detecting and preventing fraud. Benefits are loaded onto an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card for each client, which can only be used to purchase groceries at authorized SNAP retailers.