Food Stamp Program : States Have Made Progress Reducing Payment Errors, and Further Challenges Remain

In FY 2003, the federal Food Stamp Program made payment errors (PE) totaling about $1.4 billion in benefits, or about 7% of the total $21.4 billion in benefits provided to a monthly avg. of 21 million low-income participants. Because PE are a misuse of public funds, it is important that the gov't. minimize them. This report examined: (1) what is included in the nat. food stamp PE rate & how it has changed over time, (2) what is known about the causes of food stamp PE, & (3) what actions the Food & Nutrition Serv. & states have taken to reduce these PE. These questions, were answered by analyzing program quality control data for FY 1999 through 2003 & interviewing program stakeholders, including state & local officials from 9 states. Charts & tables.Nilsen, Sigurd R. is the author of 'Food Stamp Program : States Have Made Progress Reducing Payment Errors, and Further Challenges Remain', published 2005 under ISBN 9781422301128 and ISBN 1422301125.