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Food Stamp Program: Error Rate Adjustments and Sanctions

RCED-88-10 Published: Oct 22, 1987. Publicly Released: Oct 27, 1987.
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Highlights

In response to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Food and Nutrition Service's (FNS) procedures for adjusting states' Food Stamp Program error rates to account for uncompleted state quality control reviews.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Agriculture The Secretary of Agriculture should direct the Administrator, FNS, to devise a sanction process that separates financial penalties for uncompleted reviews from financial penalties for exceeding the target error rate. An alternative for doing so could entail a graduated sanction based on the extent to which states do not complete the prescribed number of reviews.
Closed – Not Implemented
According to USDA, the Hunger Prevention Act eliminated the step function used in the sanction computation, thereby, eliminating the reason for this recommendation.

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Topics

Erroneous paymentsstate relationsProgram managementQuality controlSanctionsState-administered programsFood relief programsData errorsNutritionMedicaid