LANSING, MICH. – Senator Debbie Stabenow, Chairwoman of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, released the following statement on the SNAP payment error rate.
“While states faced many challenges ensuring access to SNAP during the pandemic and unwinding temporary pandemic benefits and flexibilities, the national error rate reported today is unacceptable. The SNAP payment error rate measures the accuracy of SNAP benefits paid and eligibility determinations by the states, not fraud. In otherwords, this is about accuracy not fraud. It is critical that the program is accurate to protect program integrity and ensure people receive the assistance they need to put food on the table.
“SNAP is the foundation of the safety net for nearly 42 million Americans, providing about $6 a day to help them buy food to feed their families. The program has a rigorous quality control system that we strengthened in the 2018 Farm Bill, and I urge USDA to continue working with states to address the root causes of these overpayments and underpayments. The Rural Prosperity and Food Security Act would provide even more tools and resources to states to identify the causes of errors, improve data reporting, and develop a plan to reduce payment errors.”