FNS Takes Multiple Actions To Improve SNAP Integrity

The last few weeks have been particularly busy for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), as the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has taken multiple steps to improve the quality of the program.

In mid-September, FNS issued a proposed rule to modernize SNAP quality control. It also has recently awarded a contract aimed at streamlining state processing of SNAP applications and recertifications, and has awarded about $19 million across four grant programs to support 17 state and local agencies and partners in transformative projects to enhance SNAP.

The proposed rule seeks to modernize SNAP’s quality control system, which measures how accurately SNAP state agencies determine a household’s eligibility and benefit amount. FNS aims to improve the quality and timeliness of the data states collect, reduce the burden for households to verify their circumstances, and improve the effectiveness and timeliness of corrective actions to prevent future payment errors.

If finalized, the proposed rule would: (1) shift quality control reviews to focus only on cases with recent eligibility actions (e.g., certification or recertification), which would result in more timely and proactive interventions when issues are identified; (2) mandate the use of the federal quality control technology platform, eliminating redundant state systems; (3) allow for telephone interviews as the primary interview method to give more flexibility to busy households and hopefully increase quality control case completions; and (4) provide an optional process for gaining cooperation from unresponsive households.

Along with issuing the proposed rule, FNS also awarded a SNAP income verification contract of about $199 million to Equifax and Experian to provide state agencies with expanded access to payroll databases that can be used to verify SNAP applicants’ and participants' employment and earnings. The agency further awarded the following:

• SNAP Fraud Framework Grants: $3 million awarded to five state agencies to advance recipient fraud prevention, detection and investigation efforts using best practices from the SNAP Fraud Framework.
• SNAP Process and Technology Improvement Grants: $5 million awarded to six state agencies and nonprofits to enhance the user experience with SNAP applications and notices and to improve customer service to SNAP participants.
• SNAP Longitudinal Data Project Grants: $3 million awarded to two state agencies to help establish research databases with eligibility, benefit and demographic information on SNAP households to enable research on SNAP participation over time and across state lines.
• SNAP Farmers and Markets Mobile Application Cooperative Agreement Award: $4 million awarded to National Association of Farmers Market Nutrition Programs to provide SNAP recipients greater access to produce from local farmers.

FNS notes that it is working closely with state agencies to minimize payments errors and improve program accuracy. Through quality control, FNS helps state agencies identify the root causes of their payment errors and assists them in developing a corrective action plan to improve the accuracy of their eligibility and benefit determinations. “Payment errors can have significant implications for both participants and the program,” according to the agency, adding that it “takes quality control very seriously and is continuously working to enhance program integrity and reduce payment errors through ongoing monitoring, training and technical assistance to state agencies.”

As often as we’ve covered instances of federal improper payments, we applaud such actions to increase SNAP quality control.

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