Florida’s SNAP benefits are about to cost the state a lot more money, and the change is not minor. Starting this fall, the price of running the SNAP program will rise sharply after a federal law rewrote how much states must put on the table.
The immediate impact is clear: Florida will need at least $50 million extra just to keep SNAP benefits operating under the new rules. But the bigger risk is what comes next, because error rates tied to SNAP benefits could force the state to pay hundreds of millions more for food assistance itself.
SNAP Benefits and the new federal cost shift
SNAP benefits, are funded federally but administered by states. Until now, Florida and other states split administrative costs evenly with Washington. That balance is ending. Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, states must now cover 25% more of SNAP administrative costs. For Florida, that translates into an additional $50 million beginning Oct. 1, right as lawmakers finalize the new state budget.
Last year alone, SNAP benefits helped around 1.5 million Florida households and about 2.6 million residents buy food. The higher administrative bill applies regardless of how well or poorly the program is managed.
Error rates that could reshape SNAP benefits funding
The more serious issue tied to SNAP benefits arrives in 2028. At that point, states with high payment error rates will be required to help pay for the food itself, not just the paperwork.
Florida’s SNAP payment error rate stood at 15.1% in 2024. That figure includes both overpayments and underpayments, caused by mistakes from applicants or from state processing systems. If the new rules had already applied, Florida would have faced a bill of roughly $1 billion for SNAP food costs. State officials say they are working to reduce that number. Internally, projections suggest the 2025 error rate could land near 13%, still well above the federal threshold that triggers cost sharing. The target is to drop below 6% by 2027. Anything higher means Florida pays a share of SNAP benefits out of its own budget.
How much Florida could owe for SNAP benefits
The federal formula is strict and leaves little room for interpretation. The higher the error rate, the higher the state contribution. Here is how the SNAP benefits cost sharing works once the rule is active:
- Error rate between 6% and 8%: state pays 5% of food costs
- Error rate between 8% and 10%: state pays 10%
- Error rate above 10%: state pays between 15% and 25%
Even a best-case scenario, where Florida barely dips under 8%, would still mean a bill of around $300 million tied directly to SNAP benefits.
Why SNAP benefits matter to Florida’s economy
Beyond the budget pressure, SNAP benefits represent a major flow of money into Florida. In fiscal year 2024, the program brought more than $6.6 billion into the state through food purchases. SNAP benefits also reach populations that are often overlooked in budget debates. Nearly 98,000 veterans in Florida relied on the program last year. About 44% of households receiving SNAP benefits included someone with an intellectual or developmental disability.
Children are another key group. More than 200,000 Floridians were kept out of poverty in 2024 because of SNAP benefits, and roughly 81,000 of them were under 18. Those numbers matter when lawmakers weigh cuts, penalties, or system changes.
Pressure building ahead of 2028
Florida is not planning to use its 2026 SNAP error rate for cost calculations, buying some time. Still, the clock is ticking. If the state fails to modernize systems and reduce mistakes, SNAP benefits could become one of the most expensive line items in future budgets.
For now, the first hit is administrative: $50 million more starting this year. The larger threat is structural. Once SNAP benefits are tied directly to state error rates, Florida’s exposure could jump from millions to hundreds of millions almost overnight.