HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – More than $10 billion in SNAP benefits paid nationwide in fiscal year 2025 were above recipients’ eligibility or went to people who didn’t qualify for the program, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

An annual analysis shows the national payment error rate was 10.62%, well above the congressional threshold of 6%.

The error rate measures how accurately states determine who is eligible for SNAP and how much they should get.

In Hawaii, the payment error rate is higher than the national average at 10.92%

“These payment error rates are further proof that state accountability is severely lacking in SNAP,” Agriculture Secretary Brooke L. Rollins said in a press release. “USDA has taken historic action to help interested states curb SNAP waste, and I hope other states, regardless of political leadership, prioritize needy families and the American taxpayer over politics.”

States above the threshold must now pay back a percentage of their benefits and submit an action plan to the USDA explaining how the errors will be addressed.

Eagle, Idaho – Quinn Guterman never expected to leave a reality dating show with a boyfriend.

“Definitely didn’t think I’d be coming home with a boyfriend,” she said in an interview with CBS2.

But that’s exactly what happened after Guterman met Tennessee farmer Brett Maverick on FOX’s “Farmer Wants a Wife”.

Months after filming wrapped, the couple says their relationship is still going strong.

“He’s here a lot more than he’s not because I’m working full-time,” Guterman said.

Brett says the relationships formed on the show were genuine.

“The conversations are all real. None of that is staged or scripted,” Maverick said. “Anything that you did see from our side of it, they were real conversations. You just didn’t see the whole conversation.”

The pair said one of the biggest reasons their relationship developed was the amount of uninterrupted time they spent together while filming. Without phones or the distractions of everyday life, contestants filled their days with puzzles, card games, and exploring the property.

“It was a really good time to just be around each other and get to know each other better,” Guterman said. “Honestly, that’s how I feel the connections formed the most.”

Now, they’re focused on making time for one another despite busy schedules.

“We’re trying to see each other as much as we can when we can,” Maverick said.

Looking back, Guterman says the experience changed her perspective on reality television.

“My biggest surprise is that I could find love on a TV show,” she said. “That doesn’t ever seem realistic.”

Beyond their relationship, both say they also left with lasting friendships among the cast.

“We have a really tight-knit group of people,” Guterman said.

“I don’t know if that’s fairly normal for TV shows,” Maverick added. “But for us, we’re all super tight. We all enjoy being around each other. We got friends for life out of it.”

For Guterman and Maverick, what started as a television experiment has become a real-life relationship they’re continuing to build.