Improper food subsidy payments may cost Illinois taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars, but a risk solutions analyst says the state’s high Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program error rate can be fixed.
Illinois’ error rate for improper SNAP payments rose from 11.56% in 2024 to 14.67% last year, fifth highest in the nation.
Under provisions of the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act, states with high error rates began paying more on October 1 of this year to administer SNAP.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker responded by saying the federal government’s goal was “basically” pushing people off the subsidies.
Haywood Talcove, CEO of LexisNexis Risk Solutions government business, said Pritzker should blame thieves instead of blaming the Trump administration.
“These transnational criminals are going into the system and they’re stealing. They’re stealing from those in need, and they’re stealing from hardworking taxpayers that are funding these programs,” Talcove told The Center Square.
Talcove said Illinois has antiquated processes and technology, and the state’s error rate has been high for years.
“It’s been a Trump phenomenon, and it’s been a Biden phenomenon. And even before that, it was a little bit on the high side under Obama,” Talcove said.
Talcove said states should implement front-end identity verification and stop self-reported information.
“Imagine applying for a mortgage and telling the bank that you make a million dollars a year and they just check the box and say, yep, that’s what you make. Government does not validate the information on the forms, and as a result, the criminals know that,” Talcove said.
Talcove said Illinois should hire a third-party auditor.
“Children should not be allowed to grade their homework. The state shouldn’t tell you what their error rate is,” Talcove said, adding that every beneficiary in the SNAP system should be reevaluated.
Talcove said taxpayers will cough up $700 million if Illinois does not improve its error rate.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture said the nation’s states and territories made a collective $10 billion in improper Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program payments during fiscal year 2025.
