2026 True Cost of Fraud Study for SNAP Agencies and Integrated Eligibility Systems

SNAP agencies are operating in an increasingly complex environment. Rising fraud costs, payment integrity requirements, evolving eligibility policies and growing administrative workloads are creating new challenges for agencies responsible for safeguarding benefits while delivering timely service.

At the same time, modernization initiatives and integrated eligibility systems are transforming how agencies verify eligibility, assess risk and make benefit decisions. This research provides a national snapshot of how SNAP leaders are navigating these priorities and where they see opportunities to strengthen program integrity, improve efficiency and support more confident eligibility decisions.

The findings reveal a clear pattern: agencies that combine modern risk assessment, eligibility and verification capabilities with accurate, authoritative data are better positioned to improve program integrity, reduce costs and strengthen confidence in eligibility decisions. Data gaps, by contrast, continue to contribute to higher fraud costs, payment errors and administrative burdens.