SNAP overpayments - basic info & let us know what you are seeing

We have been hearing from Coalition members around the state about an increase in low-income households who are told they owe DTA money for an overpayment of SNAP or cash assistance benefits. 

 

It is important to remember that overpayments are very rare. Less than 1% of all SNAP payments made are made in error! Even though it is very rare, there are a variety of reasons that households end up with an overpayment. SNAP is a very complicated program, and sometimes mistakes are made that mean a household got more in SNAP than they were eligible for. Except for in very specific circumstances (an Intentional Program Violation), overpayments are NOT fraud! 

 

The vast majority of the time the overpayment is because of a mistake that DTA made, or an accidental error made by the household. 

 

The rules about overpayments are quite complicated, and dealing with an overpayment can be scary and stressful for households already struggling to put food on the table. We often see that DTA miscalculates overpayment amounts or that key information was not taken into account when DTA decided there was an overpayment. Attached is a one page overview of overpayments and what they mean for households in Massachusetts. 

 

If you have any clients who come to you with questions about an overpayment, please don't hesitate to call or email us: vnegus@mlri.org, 617 357 0700 x 315 or pbaker@mlri.org, 617 357 0700 x 328.