PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — The feds want their money back.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture on May 15 sent a letter to Rhode Island's Department of Human Services, demanding $37.3 million to account for overpayments the state made through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP.

In the letter, regional administrator Lizbeth Silbermann attributed the demand for repayment to a review of records from 2016 through 2019. She said the overpayments were caused by the "major systemic failure" of RIBridges, formerly known as UHIP, which is the state's IT system for social services that suffered a disastrous rollout under then-Gov. Gina Raimondo.

Silberman also said the claim against the state allows the federal Food and Nutrition Service, or FNS, to "prohibit the state agency from collecting claims against households for those overpayments."

The federal agency first identified $30.5 million in overpayments tied directly to the state's failure to recertify recipients, duplicate accounts and other technical errors, along with an "untimely implementation" of the 2018 cost of living adjustment.

Another $6.8 million was identified as overpayments tied to the state's incorrect application of subsidies, delayed implementation of technology and failure to accurately calculate recipients' financials.

State officials have appealed the $37.3 million claim. Deputy Chief Legal Counsel Michael Coleman responded on May 17, saying state lawyers would "submit evidence in support of this appeal not later than 30 days from the date of the request for appeal."

State spokesperson Jim Beardsworth said the technical issues were resolved in 2020, but that it's "taken some time for them to issue the findings." He said the state disputes the claims.

"When the new contract with the system vendor was entered into by this administration, financial protections for the state were included in the agreement," Beardsworth said.