As required by federal law, state SNAP agencies verify financial and non-financial information by matching SNAP applicant and participant information to various national and state data sources to ensure they meet the program’s eligibility criteria. Data matching is an important tool for ensuring program integrity and benefit accuracy. However,  information on states’ data matching practices and protocols is limited. This study was undertaken to address this knowledge gap.

This report examined some of the key food and financial challenges, as well as factors that influence SNAP participation choices, among elderly people. It also assessed how States implemented interventions designed to improve elderly access to SNAP, and their impacts.

Section 4022 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 authorized and funded the SNAP E&T pilots, which enabled the USDA Food and Nutrition Service and states to expand SNAP E&T programs and test innovative strategies to connect SNAP participants with good-paying jobs, thereby increasing their incomes and reducing the need for nutrition assistance benefits. This is the fifth annual report to Congress.

FNS uses a two-tier system to measure errors in eligibility and benefit determination for SNAP. This feasibility study identifies all processes and components that would be required for a one-tier federal SNAP QC system, including the procedural, staffing, and organizational changes and the technological and data-sharing infrastructures.

The SNAP E&T pilot projects give Congress, USDA, and states the opportunity to test innovative strategies and approaches that connect low-income households to good paying jobs and thereby reduce their reliance on public assistance.

Trends in SNAP Participation Rates: fiscal year 2010 to 2017 is the latest in a series on SNAP participation rates, which estimate the proportion of people eligible for benefits under federal income and asset rules who actually participate in the program.

This study provides current information on adoption of scanning technology among small SNAP-authorized retailers to assess readiness for meeting the Farm Bill requirement, barriers and benefits to adopting scanning technologies, and costs for nonadopting retailers to comply with this requirement.

The Federal Government fully funds SNAP benefits, but FNS and state agencies share administrative expenses, with each paying about 50 percent. State administrative costs per case varies widely by state. This study explores a number of factors, including state economic conditions, SNAP caseload characteristics, state SNAP policies, to try to explain the variation by state.

This exploratory study estimated the extent to which potential identity theft was used to obtain Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits in Florida and Missouri during a 12-month period (June 2016 to May 2017). The prevalence of potential identity theft was estimated from examining the SNAP caseload data for cases with data discrepancies requiring referral to the state SNAP agency for further investigation. Because identity theft can be truly determined only after a detailed fraud investigation is conducted, the study estimates are to be considered potential identity theft rather than true identity theft.