This study provides an overview of the risk assessment tools currently used by the state agencies that administer the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to categorize those program applications more likely to incur payment errors and allocate resources to improve the accuracy of benefit payments to families participating in SNAP.
The Payment Integrity Information Act of 2019 requires federal agencies, like FNS, to give Congress information about payment errors for federal programs, like CACFP. FNS planned this study to estimate payment errors in CACFP child care centers. However, after completing the study, FNS found an error in the method used to estimate nationwide findings from the study data. Because of the error, FNS is not publishing the full study, and will instead present key findings that relate to broad trends instead of specific estimates.
We explored the feasibility of using existing data from state monitoring reviews – a process designed to assess operations and provide real-time technical assistance to family day care homes operating CACFP – to estimate the rate of improper payments in those operations. This study found that flexibility in these reviews and the information they report across states, while beneficial for their main purpose, made the resulting data unusable for estimating a national improper payment rate.
The Rapid Cycle Evaluation project provided interested states the opportunity to test small scale operational changes for improving program operations and delivery. Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Massachusetts, Minnesota and Rhode Island participated in developing and rigorously evaluating site-specific interventions.
These SNAP and Food Stamp Program Quality Control annual reports present official quality control error rates and other statistical data derived from SNAP QC reviews conducted for each fiscal year.
This study reviewed corrective action plans (CAPs) for payment error rate, case and procedural error rate and quality control completion rate from eight states and describes the approaches used to develop, implement, and monitor CAPs. The study also identified challenges and promising practices and provided recommendations for improving states' ability to conduct corrective action activities.
We periodically surveys state agencies administering SNAP about certain options to determine which options are in use. The results of these surveys have been compiled into the State Options Reports. These reports are not a comprehensive reflection of all policy and administrative options available to states.
The Summer Food Service Program Integrity Study was designed to improve understanding of how state agencies provide oversight of the SFSP. To address the research objectives, the study examined such areas as sponsor and site selection, training and technical assistance, meal counting and claiming, and reviews. The findings, based on data collected in 2021, also offered some preliminary responses about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on SFSP operations.
The 2014 Farm Bill authorized up to $200 million for the development, implementation, and evaluation of up to 10 pilot projects designed to reduce dependency and increase work effort under SNAP. These pilots gave USDA and states the opportunity to build on existing SNAP E&T programs and test new strategies to determine the most effective ways to help SNAP recipients gain and retain employment that leads to self-sufficiency.
List of FNS completed peer review plans and reports.