The Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 set a tolerance level, or threshold, for excluding small errors from calculation of the SNAP payment error rate. Beginning with fiscal year 2015, the threshold has been adjusted annually to correspond with changes in the Thrifty Food Plan for the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia.
The Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (the Act), requires verification of household eligibility for SNAP benefits, confirm household eligibility throughout participation in the program, and ensure that households receive the correct benefit amount. State agencies are responsible for determining the eligibility of applicant households and issuing benefits to those households entitled to benefits under the Act.
Following federal requirements, state agencies are responsible for determining the eligibility of SNAP households and issuing benefits to those households entitled to benefits under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, as amended. Demographics must be collected from households to ensure that they are eligible for the program and that they receive the correct amount of SNAP benefits.
This memorandum provides the FY 2024 Cost-of-Living Adjustments to the SNAP maximum allotments, income eligibility standards, and deductions. Under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, COLAs are effective as of Oct. 1, 2023.
The purpose of the Performance Reporting System is to ensure that each state agency and project area is operating SNAP in accordance with the Food and Nutrition Act, regulations, and the state agency's Plan of Operation.
To help SNAP state agencies prepare for the lifting of the COVID-19 federal public health emergency (PHE) declaration on May 11, 2023, FNS is sharing the enclosed table summarizing the timelines for ending PHE flexibilities. These flexibilities include waivers of SNAP regulations, adjustments of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, temporary changes to eligibility criteria for ABAWDs and students, and the issuance of EAs during the PHE.
In order to receive a waiver, state agencies must submit sufficient supporting information so that the Secretary can make the required determination as to the area's unemployment rate or insufficiency of available jobs. This collection of information is necessary in order to obtain waivers of the SNAP ABAWD time limit.
This memorandum provides a reminder to state agencies that under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, all eligible households must have the opportunity to participate in SNAP within 30 days of application or seven days if they are entitled to expedited service.
The Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, as amended, requires the SNAP QC system use a tolerance level to set a monetary threshold for determining which QC errors are included in the calculation of payment error rates.
This memorandum provides the FY 2023 Cost-of-Living Adjustments to the SNAP maximum allotments, income eligibility standards, and deductions. Under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, COLAs are effective as of Oct. 1, 2022.