Governor Glenn Youngkin met virtually on Thursday with more than 1,500 Department of Social Services (DSS) state and local benefits workers and agency leadership from across the Commonwealth, rallying behind SNAP FORWARD, a statewide initiative focused on reducing payment errors in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
“We must make sure benefits funded by taxpayers are delivered accurately, timely, and fairly,” said Governor Glenn Youngkin. “Thanks to the dedication of local DSS benefits specialists, supervisors, and state staff, we are focused and aligned like never before. SNAP FORWARD will help us achieve measurable results — strengthening program integrity, protecting taxpayer dollars, and ensuring Virginia families get the short-term support they need.”
SNAP FORWARD builds on Executive Directive 13, which Governor Youngkin issued in August 2025, directing DSS to strengthen program integrity, implement required training for local staff, verify household information rather than relying on self-attestation, and explore technology solutions to improve accuracy. Key elements of SNAP FORWARD include required foundational training for all local eligibility workers, new policies to verify household information, enhanced case review processes, and technology investments designed to catch and correct potential errors earlier in the process.
“This is about saying loud and clear: reducing our SNAP error rate is possible,” said Secretary of Health and Human Resources Janet V. Kelly. “Through stronger training, smarter use of technology, and greater collaboration between state and local agencies, we can and will meet this challenge together.”
SNAP FORWARD is designed to ensure Virginians receive the right benefit at the right time — protecting families from underpayments, which can lead to food insecurity, and from overpayments, which can result in repayment obligations. Virginia’s current SNAP payment error rate is 11.5%, driven primarily by pandemic-related workforce shortages, record caseloads, and outdated verification processes.
Virginia remains committed to delivering accurate, timely benefits and strengthening program integrity for the approximately 874,000 Virginians who rely on SNAP. SNAP benefits have been fully funded by the federal government, but beginning in October 2027, states with high error rates will be required to share in the cost of the SNAP benefit, which could total $270 million annually at Virginia’s current error rate.
Commissioner Kevin Erskine of the Virginia Department of Social Services added: “We will equip our teams with the tools, resources, and policies they need to succeed. By working hand-in-hand with local departments, we’re committed to finding and fixing errors before they impact Virginia families.”
