N.C. is cutting food stamp errors, but they’re still too high

The state was one of the best in the country in reducing the error rate. Without a lot more improvement, N.C. will have a real budget problem

I know I mostly write about politics here, so you’ll have to forgive me when I veer into policy mechanics.

But this one is important. And ideally, North Carolina handles it now, before it turns into a political problem later.

The issue is SNAP, commonly known as food stamps. The federal government has historically paid the full cost of the benefits, while states and counties handle much of the administration.

That arrangement changed in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the major federal law passed last July. Congress decided to crack down on waste, fraud and abuse in the food stamp program by focusing on payment error rates.

Starting in fiscal year 2028, states with SNAP payment error rates at or above 6% can be required to pay part of their own benefit costs. The higher the error rate, the bigger the state share.

The Trump administration takes a lot of heat, and rightly so in plenty of cases. But this is one of its brighter spots. Washington is finally putting real pressure on states to ru…