USDA letter to Governors about SNAP Application Processing Timeliness.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack issued a letter today encouraging all governors to invest in SNAP EBT cards with chip technology for their states.
FNS is pleased to announce that the X9 Committee ratified and published revised EBT standards in August 2024. Finalizing these standards is a significant step towards modernizing SNAP EBT technology and combating benefit theft. These technical standards provide the opportunity for states to implement EBT cards with chip technology.
To address deficiencies in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program administration, FNS regulations require state agencies to implement corrective action plans. This document covers corrective action planning procedures, requirements, and deadlines for state agency performance as indicated by quality control data.
This document provides guidance on the most important strategies or “Keys” to achieving and maintaining acceptable timeliness rates. It is a companion to the Keys to Payment Accuracy guide.
USDA is committed to providing nutrition assistance to hard-hit families across the country due to the coronavirus pandemic. In support of President Biden’s call to action on hunger, USDA announced that it is increasing the Pandemic EBT benefit by approximately 15 percent, providing more money for low-income families and millions of children missing meals due to school and child care closures.
The purpose of this memorandum is to advise state agencies on the steps FNS will take to monitor and engage state agencies with poor SNAP initial application processing timeliness rates.
FNS regulations require state agencies to implement CAPs when a payment error rate is six percent or greater, a case and procedural error rate is above the national average, and five percent or more of the state’s QC caseload is coded as incomplete. This document outlines regulatory procedures for these CAPs to ensure consistency and emphasis on improving state payment accuracy.
FNS has estimated the number of new discretionary exemptions each state has earned for FY 2023. States that operated under a statewide waiver of the ABAWD time limit did not earn any new exemptions.
FNS is updating its guidance to states on P-EBT eligibility for children who enrolled in non-NSLP-participating fully virtual institutions or began homeschooling since the start of the COVID-19 public health emergency.