Albuquerque, NM (KKOB) –According to a Legislative Finance Committee report released today, New Mexico’s high error rate in issuing food benefits could cost the state $173 million per year under a new federal law. The error rate for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, was roughly 16.6% as of fiscal year 2025 in New Mexico, according to the report — fifth worst in the country and a “recent record high” for the state. Under the budget reconciliation bill President Trump signed into law last year, states with error rates above 6% will be required to fund a portion of SNAP benefits for their residents. Those states will need to shoulder up to 15% of the benefit costs, depending on their error rates. The report found there is a “low level of confirmed fraud,” but nonetheless, the agency is “under-investigating fraud.”
