SNAP: Examining Efforts to Combat Fraud and Improve Program Integrity

PURPOSE:

• To examine federal and state efforts to combat fraud and trafficking in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) program.

BACKGROUND:

• In FY 2015, SNAP provided 46 million low-income individuals and/or households with $69 billion in benefits to help provide for a more nutritious diet.
• The Office of Management and Budget designated SNAP as a high-error program due to an estimated $2.6 billion in improper payments.

o   Some recipients falsify eligibility information to improperly obtain benefits, or misuse their benefits to obtain non-food services, illegal drugs, or cash – a practice known as trafficking.

• The Government Accountability Office recommended the U.S. Department of Agriculture reassess current financial incentives and detection tools and issue guidance to help states better detect fraud.