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UD 025 743
Food Stamp Program: Trends in Program Applications,
Participation, and Denials. GAO Briefing Report to
the Honorable Leon E. Panetta, House of
Representatives.
General Accounting Office, Washington, D.C.
GAO/RCED-87-80BR
Apr 87
B-217883
28p.
U.S. General Accounting Office, PO Box 6015,
Gaithersburg, MD 20877 (1-5 copies, free; over 5,
$2.00 ea.; discounts on larger quantities).
Legal/Legislative/Regulatory Materials (090) --
Reports - Research/Technical (143)
MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage.
Delivery Systems; Eligibility; *Federal Programs;
Federal State Relationship; *Poverty Programs;
*Welfare Recipients; Welfare Services
*Food Stamp Program
ABSTRACT
This briefing report provides information on recent
trends in: (1) the number of households applying for food stamp
benefits; (2) the number of households participating in the Food
Stamp Program; and (3) the percentage of households whose food stamps
were improperly denied or terminated. The data were reported by the
50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin
Islands to the Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition
Service. Section 1 of the report describes the study background and
objectives; section 2 presents statistics and analysis. Major
findings, based on data available as of February 23, 1987, include
the following: (1) the number of households applying for rood stamps,
riationwide, declined from about 16.8 million in fiscal year 1983 to
about 6 million in fiscal 1985--a decline of about 25 percent. The
percentage of applications approved and denied remained relatively
constant at about 80 and 20 percent, respectively. (2) The total
estimated number of households participating in the program
nationwide declined from about 13.7 million in 1983 to about 12.8
million in 1985--a 7 percent decline. Participation increased in 11
states, while 42 states experienced declines. (3) The percentage of
cases in which households' benefits were reported by the states as
improperly denied or terminated declined from 1980 through 1985.
State-by-state, improper denials or termination over this period
ranged from zero in Delaware to over 11 percent in Washington State
(1984 and 1985) and the District of Columbia (1981). Data are
presented in the text and in tabular form. Appendices include
comments about this report from the Department of Agriculture and
General Accounting Office and a list of major contributors to this
report. (KM
::
=11
US DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Educational Research and improvement
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION
CENTER (ERIC)
phis document has been reproduced as
received from the person or organization
originating it.
O Minor changes have been made to improve
reproduction quMity.
PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS
MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY
POI nts of view or opinions slat ed unthia docu-
ment do not necessarily represent official
OERI position or policy.
INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC).
GAO
United States
General Accounting Office
Washington, D.C. 20548
Resources, Community, and
Economic Development Division
B-217883
April 2, 1987
The Honorable Leon E. Panetta
Chairman, SubcomMittee on Domestic
Marketing, Consumer Relations,
and Nutrition
Committee on Agriculture
House of Representatives
Dear Mr. Chairman:
As requested in your January 28, 1986, letter, and in
subsequent discussions with your office, this briefing report
provides the latest available information on the trends in
the (1) number of households applying for and subsequently
approved for or denied food stamp benefits, (2) number of
households participating in the Food Stamp Program, and (3)
percentage of households whose food stamps were improperly
denied or terminated.
We also attempted to estimate the
number of households that were terminated from the Food Stamp
Program, but we were unable to develop meaningful estimates
because neither the Food and Nutrition Service nor the states
report reliable data on these actions.
This report is the second product issued'as part of an
overall review of food stamp denials and terminations.1
Our
overall review is still ongoing at the Department of
Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service and selected states,
and, at a later date, we anticipate reporting on the accuracy
of data trot the states report on the extent of improper
denials anr terminations and the reasons why food stamps are
being denit
or terminated.
The Food Stamp kJ.
--am is designed to help low-income
households obtain IL
nutritious diets.
The states are
required to determine
whether applicants are eligible for
the program and, if so, issue them the appropriate amount of
food stamps and (2) whether participants whose circumstances
change continue to be eligible, and, if not, terminate them
1The first report was entitled Food Stamp Program:
Restoration of Improperly Denied or Terminated Benefits
(GAO/RCED-87-51, Oct. 30, 1986).
3
B-217883
from the program.2
States report to the Service on the
number of households applying for, approved for,
or denied
benefits, as well as those participating in the program.
States do not report separate statistics on the number of
households terminated from the program but include these
households in their report on the number of negative actions
(denials plus terminations) taken during the year.
To determine the validity of states' decisions to deny or
terminate benefits, states are required to conduct quality
control reviews of cases involving such negative actions.
Cases where households were incorrectly denied entry into the
program or improperly terminated from it are to be reported
by the states to the Service as errors.
The Service does not routinely validate the accuracy of the
state-reported data on improper denials and terminations, nor
does it verify that states are properly reporting on the
number of households applying for and receiving benefits or
those denied benefits.
Service officials cautioned that
because of variations in the states' reporting periods
(differences in the start of the fiscal year) and possible
inconsistencies in states' definitions of what constitutes an
application, or denial, these data may only approximate the
actual program trends.
According to the data states reported to the Service:
-- the number of households applying for food stamps,
nationwide, declined from about 16.8 million to about
12.6 million from fiscal years 1983 through 1985--a
decline of about 25 percent.
Applications for about
13.7 million households were approved to receive
benefits in fiscal year 1983 compared with about 10.0
million in fiscal year 1985.
About 3.1 million
households' applications to receive benefits were
denied in fiscal year 1983 compared with about 2.6
million in fiscal year 1985.
However, the percentage
of applications approved and denied remained
relatively constant at about 80 and 20 percent,
respectively, during this period.
-- the total estimated number of households
participating in the program, nationwide, declined
2For this report, the term "states" includes the 50 U.S.
states and the District of Columbia, Guam and the U.S. Virgin
Islands.
2
B-217883
from about 13.7 million households in fiscal year
1983 to about 12.8 million in fiscal year 1985--a
decrease of about 7 percent.
On a state-by-state
basis, participation increased in 11 states, while 42
states experienced declines, 29 of which were in
excess of the 7-percent national percentage decrease.
-- the percentage of cases, nationwide, in which
households' benefits were reported by the states as
improperly denied or terminated declined from fiscal
years 1980 through 1985 (about 4 percent in fiscal
year 1980 compared with about 3 percent in fiscal
year 1985).
Section 2 of this report provides more detailed information
on the number of households applying for and participating in
the program, those denied benefits, and errors states
reported in denying or terminating benefits.
Information in this report was obtained from the Department
of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service headquarters in
Alexandria, Virginia.
Data were available, nationwide and by
state, for fiscal years 1983 through 1985 on the number of
households whose applications were approved and denied, and
the number of households participating in the program.
Because the Service gathers data on the number of households
receiving food stamps at certain times in the fiscal year,
but not on the total number of households that receive food
stamps during the year, we estimated total annual Food Stamp
Program participation for fiscal years 1983 through 1985 by
multiplying the annual average number of participating
households by the Service's estimated rate of turnover in the
program.
Data on the percentage of food stamp cases in which
households' benefits were improperly denied or terminated
were available, nationwide and by state, for fiscal years
1980 through 1985.
The information in this report is based on the most recent
data available from the Service as of February 23, 1987.
We
analyzed these data to determine the program trends, but we
did not test the validity or reliability of this information
nor do we draw any conclusions based on these data.
We obtained official written comments from the Department of
Agriculture on the results of our work.
The Department
commented that the draft report generally presented an
objective description of the subject material.
However, the
Department expressed concern with our estimates of the number
of households terminated from food stamp participation and
3
5
B-217883
the total number of households receiving benefits annually.
In our draft, we reported estimates of the number of
households terminated from the Food Stamp Program annually
based on data maintained by the Department.
We have deleted
these estimates from our final report because of
concerns the
Department raised about the quality of its data.
Accordingly, the only data on terminations included
in the
final report are on improper denials and terminations as
reported by the states.
Using data that states report to the Service on monthly
program participation and the Service's estimate of program
turnover, we estimated the total number of households
participating in the program annually.
As the Department
suggested, our report identifies these numbers as GAO
estimates.
Department officials agreed with the logic of our
methodology for developing these estimates.
Other Department
comments have been incorporated where appropriate.
(See
app. I.)
As arranged with your office, unless you publicly announce
its contents earlier, we will make no further distribution of
the report until 30 days from the date of this letter.
At
that time, we will send copies to the Chairman, Senate
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry; the
Secretary of Agriculture; the Director, Office of Management
and Budget; and other interested parties.
Should you have
questions regarding information contained in this report,
please contact me at (202) 275-5138 or Mr. John Harman of my
staff at (202) 475-4880.
Major contributors to this briefing report are listed in
appendix II.
Sincerely yours,
Brian P. Cr
Senior Associate Director
4
SECTION
1
Contents
Page
INTRODUCTION
7
Background
7
Objectives, scope, and methodology
8
2
TRENDS IN HOUSEHOLDS APPLYING FOR,
PARTICIPATING IN, AND DENIED ENTRY
INTO THE FOOD STAMP PROGRAM
Households whose applications for food
stamp benefits were approved and
denied, nationwide
11
13
Percentage of households whose
applications for food stamp benefits
were denied, by state
15
Households participating in the Food
Stamp Program, nationwide
17
Households participating in the Food
Stamp Program, by state
19
Percentage of food stamp cases improperly
denied or terminated, nationwide and
by state
23
APPENDIX
I
Agency Comments and Our Response
26
II
Major Contributors to This Report
28
TABLES
2.1
Percentage of households' applications for
food stamp benefits denied by state- -
fiscal years 1983 through 1985
2.2
Households participating in the Food
Stamp Program, by state--fiscal years
1983 through 1985
5
7
14
20
2.3
Percentage of food stamp cases reported as
improperly denied or terminated,
nationwide and by state--fiscal years
1980 through 1985
FIGURES
2.1
Households' applications for food stamps
approved and denied, nationwide--fiscal
years 1983 through 1985
2.2
Households participating in the Food Stamp
Program, nationwide--fiscal years 1983
through 1985
2.3
Changes in Food Stamp Program
participation levels between fiscal
years 1983 and 1985
2.4
Percentage of food stamp cases reported
as improperly denied or terminated, by
state--fiscal year 1985
ABBREVIATIONS
GAO
General Accounting Office
RCED
Resources, Community, and Economic Development
Division
USDA
U.S. Department of Agriculture
6
Page
24
12
16
18
22
SECTION 1
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND
The Food Stamp Program is designed to help low-income
households obtain more nutritious diets.
Eligible applicants
receive coupons to buy food through normal market channels,
primarily retail grocery stores.
The Department of Agriculture's
Food and Nutrition Service is responsible for administering and
supervising the Food Stamp Program.
States are responsible for
local administration and day-to-day operation of the program.'
The states are required to determine whether applicants are
eligible for the program and, if so, issue them the appropriate
amount of benefits.
Applicants found ineligible are to be denied
food stamps, and participants whose circumstances change, thereby
making them ineligible, are to be terminated from the program.
States report to the Service on the number of households applying
for food stamps, those approved for or denied benefits, and those
participating in the program.
The states are also required to conduct quality control
reviews of cases involving negative actions (decisions to deny or
terminate benefits) to determine the validity of these actions.
Cases involving households that were incorrectly denied entry into
the program or improperly terminated from it are to be reported by
the states to the Service as errors.
The Service does not
routinely validate the accuracy o
the data states report on
improper denials or terminations,
nor does it verify the number of
households applying for or receiving benefits, or those denied
benefits.
Program regulations describe applications as occurring when
a
household requests food coupons and signs the application document.
If the application is approved, the household may be certified to
participate in the program generally for up to a 12-month period.
1 For this report the term "states" includes the 50 U.S. states and
the District of Columbia, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
2The Service validates the reported rate of improper denials and
terminations only if a state may be eligible to receive enhanced
funding to administer the program.
To receive enhanced funding,
states are required to have improper denial/termination case error
rates below the national average and combined overpayments and
underpayments of benefits rates not exceeding a legislatively
established target rate.
7
At the end of a certification period, households must reapply for
benefits.
Reapplications are included in the number of total
applications states report to the Service.
Although the
regulations define as negative actions the decision to deny or
terminate a household's benefits, when reporting the number
of
negative actions to the Service, states do not distinguish whether
the action was a denial or termination.
A denial applies to cases
in which a request for food coupons is rejected because a state's
food stamp office determines that an applicant does not meet the
eligibility requirements.
A termination applies to cases in which
a household's eligibility to receive food stamps is terminated
before the end of the certification period.
Households whose
certification periods expire are not considered terminated from
the
program.
A termination can be initiated by the household informing
the food stamp office of a change in its eligibility status or by
an action taken by the state or local food stamp office.
OBJECTIVES, SCOPE, AND METHODOLOGY
Our objectives were to provide the most recent available
information on the trends in
-- the number of households applying for and subsequently
approved for or denied food stamp benefits,
-- the number of households participating in the Food Stamp
Program,
-- the number of households whose benefits were terminated,
and,
-- the percentages of cases involving households whose
benefits were improperly denied or terminated.
To address the objectives, we analyzed data the states reported
to
the Service on the (1) number of applications for food
stamps
approved and denied, (2) number of households participating in
the
Food Stamp Program, (3) total number of negative actions
that the
states took to deny or terminat
households' benefits, and (4)
percentage of cases involving households whose benefits
were
improperly denied or terminated.
Because it was not within the
scope of this assignment, we did not attempt to draw conclusions
based on the data or trends in this report.
We also did not test
the validity or reliability of the Service's data.
Information in this report was obtained from the
Department of
Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service headquarters in
Alexandria, Virginia.
Data on the number of applications approved
and denied were available, nationwide and by state; for fiscal
years 1983 through 1985.
Data on the average number of households
participating in the program at certain times in the year were
available, nationwide and by state, for fiscal years 1983 through
8
10
1985.
Using the Service's estimate of Food Stamp Program turnover,
we adjusted the Service's participation data to develop an estimate
of the total number of households receivxag benefits each year.
We attempted to develop estimates of the number of households
terminated from the Food Stamp Program annually.
However, we
deleted these estimates from this report because of concerns the
Department raised about the quality of its data.
Data on the
percentage of cases involving households whose benefits were
improperly denied or terminated were available, nationwide and by
state, for fiscal years 1980 through 1985.
Service officials cautioned that because of (1) variations in
the states' reporting periods (differences in the start of the
fiscal year), (2) possible inconsistencies in the states'
definitions of what constitutes an application or denial, and (3)
states' possible inaccurate measures of program activity, these
data may only be an approximation of actual prograw trends.
The
information in this report is based on the most recent data
available from the Service as of February 23, 1987.
9
r
11
SECTION 2
TRENDS IN HOUSEHOLDS APPLYING FOR, PARTICIPATING
IN,
AND DENIED ENTRY INTO THE FOOD STAMP PROGRAM
.
.
:
SECTION SUMMARY
:
According to the data states reported to the Service:
:
.
The number of households applying for food stamps
:
:
nationwide declined from about 16.8 million in
:
:
fiscal year 1983 to about 12.6 million in fiscal
:
:
year 1985--a decline of about 25 percent.
During
:
:
that period the number of households approved
:
:
correspondingly declined from about 13.7 million to
:
:
about 10.0 million.
The number of households whose
:
applications were denied declined from about 3.1
:
:
million in fiscal year 1983 to about 2.6 million in
:
fiscal year 1985.
The percentage of applications
:
:
approved and denied remained relatively constant at
:
:
about 80 and 20 percent, respectively.
:
:
.
The total estimated number of households
:
:
participating in the program nationwide declined
:
:
from about 13.7 million in fiscal year 1983 to
:
:
about 12.8 million in fiscal year 1985--a decline
:
:
of about 7 percent.
On a state-by-state basis,
participation increased in 11 states, while 42
states experienced declines, 29 of which were
in
:
excess of the na,ional percentage decrease.
:
.
The percentage of cases, nationwide, in which
:
:
households' benefits were reported by the states as
:
improperly denied or terminated declined from
:
fiscal years 1980 through 1985 (about 4 percent in
:
fiscal year 1980 compared with about 3 percent in
:
fiscal year 1985).
On a state-by-state basis,
:
improper denials or terminations of benefits over
this 6-year period ranged from 0 (Delaware and
:
:
Kansas) to over 11 percent (Washington and the
:
:
District of Columbia), although in fiscal year
:
1985, most states'(42) improper denials or
:
:
terminations were 4 percent or less.
:
1
1
11
12
Figure 2.1 Households' Applications for Food Stamps Approved and
Denied
Nationwide, Fiscal Years 1983 Through 1985
18
Applications for Food Stamp Benefits (Millions)
18
14
1983
1984
Fiscal Wars
Denied
PR Approved
1985
Source:
Food and Nutrition Service, USDA
12
13
HOUSEHOLD WHOSE APPLICATIONS FOR
FOOD STAMP BENEFITS WERE APPROVED
AND DENIED, NATIONWIDE
The number of households applying for food stamps, nationwide,
has been declining since fiscal year 1983.
States reported that
about 16.8 million applications were submitted to their food stamp
offices in fiscal year 1983, compared with about 12.6 million
applications submitted in fiscal year 1985.
About 13.7 million
applications were approved in fiscal year 1983, while about 10.0
million were approved in fiscal year 1985.
About 3.1 million
applications were denied in fiscal year 1983, compared with about
2.6 million in fiscal year 1985.
However, the percentages of
applications approved and denied have remained relatively constant
at about 80 percent and 20 percent, respectively, for this period.
Service officials attributed the decline in applications to,
among other things, improvements in the economy and changes to Food
Stamp Program procedures.
These procedural changes generally
increased the length of certification periods, thereby reducing the
frequency that households need to reapply for benefits.
13
14
Table 2.1:
Percentage of Households' Applications for
Food Stamp Benefits Denied by State,
Fiscal Years 1983 Through 1985
FY 1984
FY 1985
STATE
FY 1983
U.S. TOTALS
19
20
20
Alabama
15
15
17
Alaska
18
24
33
Arizona
22
24
30
Arkansas
16
19
19
California
25
27
29
Colorado
21
15
14
Connecticut
21
22
21
Delaware
12
8
8
District of
Columbia
16
7
19
Florida
13
17
24
Georgia
20
30
9
Guam
33
24
4
Hawaii
26
27
26
Idaho
10
10
13
Illinois
24
24
24
Indiana
10
10
10
Iowa
26
27
34
Kansas
16
18
20
Kentucky
20
23
22
Louisiana
28
29
30
Maine
17
12
14
Maryland
29
34
32
Massachusetts
27
29
28
Michigan
12
15
27
Minnesota
17
17
16
Mississippi
14
16
18
Missouri
10
12
14
Montana
5
6
6
Nebraska
8
9
11
Nevada
18
23
28
New Hampshire
26
30
32
New Jersey
14
14
14
New Mexico
9
12
14
New York
21
28
26
North Carolina
16
17
29
North Dakota
12
16
10
Ohio
11
10
9
Oklahoma
12
13
15
Oregon
35
23
19
Pennsylvania
23
22
25
Rhode Island
29
36
25
South Carolina
7
15
14
South Dakota
10
13
14
Tennessee
36
28
28
Texas
33
32
36
Utah
26
26
26
Vermont
20
18
18
Virgin Islands
21
39
4
Virginia
21
24
25
Washington
42
47
46
West Virginia
15
15
19
Wisconsin
5
5
5
Wyoming
N/A
5
11
Source:
Food and Nutrition Service, USDA.
N/A:
Not available.
14
15
PERCENTAGE OF HOUSEHOLDS WHOSE
APPLICATIONS FOR FOOD STAMP
BENEFITS WERE DENIED, BY STATE
Nationwide, the average percentage of households whose
applications were denied was relatively constant at about 20
percent from fiscal years 1983 through 1985.
However, there were
sizable variations in that percentage from state to state.
For
example, in fiscal year 1985, nine states denied 10 percent or less
of the households applying for food stamps, while eight states
denied applications of 30 percent or more households.
From fiscal year 1983 to 1985, for 37 states the percentage of
households whose food stamp applications were denied remained
relatively stable (5 percentage points or less change).
During
that period, eight states showed increases in the percentage of
applications denied (more than 5 percentage points increase), and
seven states showed decreases in the percentage of applications
denied (more than 5 percentage points decrease).
One state did not
report the data needed for us to make this analysis.
Service officials could not explain what caused some states to
increase or decrease their percentage of denied applications.
15
I 6
Figure 2.2:
Households Participating in the Food Stamp Program,
Nationwide, Fiscal Years 1983 Through 1985
14
Household:: Participating In the Program (Millions)
12
10
1983
1984
Fiscal bars
1985
Source:
GAO calculations based on Food and Nutrition Service data.
16
17
HOUSEHOLDS PARTICIPATING IN
THE FOOD STAMP PROGRAM,
NATIONWIDE
The total number of households participating in the Food Stamp
Program nationwide declined about 7 percent from fiscal
years 1983
through 1985.
We estimated that about 13.7 million households
participated in the program in fiscal year 1983, about 13.2 million
in fiscal year 1984, and about 12.8 million in fiscal year 1985.
According to Service officials, during any fiscal year, the
number of participating households fluctuates depending
on the
number of households entering or leaving the Food Stamp Program.
In this report, we estimated total annual participation in the
program by multiplying the state-reported fiscal year average
number of households participating in the program by the Service's
estimated rate of turnover in food stamp participation.
According
to the state-reported data and without adjusting for turnover, on
the average, 7.9 million households received food stamps in fiscal
year 1983, about 7.6 million in 1984, and 7.3 million in 1985.
Based on 1979 data, the Service estimated that because of turnover,
total annual participation was about 1.74 times as large as average
annual participation.1
The officials said that they have not
updated this estimate.
1Food Stamp Research:
Results from the Income Survey Development
Program and the Promise of the Survey
on Income and Program
participation, USDA, Food and Nutrition Service, March 1986.
17
1 8
Fi ure 2.3:
Chan es in Food Stam
Pro ram Partici ation Levels
Between Fiscal Years 1983 and 1985
Source:
GAO calculations of Food and Nutrition Service data, USDA
18
19
HOUSEHOLDS PARTICIPATING IN THE
FOOD STAMP PROGRAM, BY STATE
From fiscal year 1983 to 1985, most states reported noticeable
changes in the Food Stamp Program participation levels (See figure
2.3).
For example,
11- states experienced increases in
participation, while 42 states experienced declines, 29 of which
were in excess of the national percentage decline of 7 percent
(See table 2.2.).
States experiencing _ncreases in food stamp participation
generally were located in the central portions of the country,
while those experiencing the largest declines generally were in the
Northeast and Southeast.
On the whole, about half of the states
(23) experienced a 7- to 15-percent decline in food stamp
participation.
As previously mentioned, for this report,
we are defining
participation as the estimated total number of households receiving
benefits during a fiscal year.
We computed this estimate,
nationwide and by state, by multiplying the state-reported fiscal
year average number of households participating in the program by
the Service's estimated rate of turnover in food stamp
participation.
19
20
Table 2.2:
Households Participating in the
Fiscal Year
1985
Percent Change
Fiscal Years
1983 - 1985
Food Stamp Program, by State,
Fiscal Year
1984
Fiscal Years 1983 Through 1985
State
Fiscal Year
1983
U.S. TOTAL
13,660,770
13,213,431
12,756,187
-7
Alabama
383,628
375,194
361,053
-6
Alaska
14,529
12,650
12,366
-15
Arizona
131,266
128,080
118,511
-10
Arkansas
186,387
176,939
155,829
-16
California
1,088,274
1,000,236
958,089
-12
Colorado
122,486
116,646
110,187
-10
Connecticut
111,426
103,979
95,121
-15
Delaware
33,161
29,126
25,827
-22
District of Columbia
62,045
56,562
52,296
-16
Florida
531,452
454,775
415,364
-22
Georgia
373,138
357,713
340,579
-9
Guam
9,111
8,820
8,088
-11
Hawaii
66,969
65,734
64,610
-4
Idaho
41,106
37,476
35,494
-14
Illinois
739,321
750,878
748,628
1
Indiana
279,117
260,614
237,282
-15
Iowa
136,263
135,556
132,992
-2
Kansas
91,099
85,554
78,704
-14
Kentucky
335,014
345,921
333,038
-.6
Louisiana
332,632
345,402
366,829
10
Maine
88,837
83,118
80,607
-9
Maryland
219,259
208,777
200,013
-9
Massachusetts
286,338
258,945
244,863
-14
Michigan
754,154
768,010
710,042
-6
Minnesota
154,218
156,007
156,497
1
Mississippi
290,194
280,937
276,225
-5
Missouri
257,757
247,708
222,523
-14
Montana
34,478
36,265
37,382
8
Nebraska
57,545
57,531
59,059
3
Nevada
25,980
25,818
25,185
-3
Nea Hampshire
32,594
25,519
21,185
-35
New Jersey
347,669
322,850
296,437
-15
New Mexico
97,584
89,125
86,972
-11
New York
1,320,237
1,330,256
1,311,970
-.6
North Carolina
336,504
312,086
298,615
-11
North Dakota
19,422
18,877
19,855
2
Ohio
768,012
788,230
774,718
.9
Oklahoma
159,224
173,104
173,963
9
Oregon
187,582
168,827
163,948
-13
Pennsylvania
765,308
733,271
714,966
-7
Rhode Island
58,624
54,768
50,740
-13
South Carolina
252,518
233,978
220,726
-13
South Dakota
29,081
26,920
26,947
-7
Tennessee
385,894
348,920
324,541
-16
Texas
688,003
668,132
683,347
-.7
Utah
50,575
46,181
44,342
-12
Vermont
35,707
34,513
30,711
-14
Virginia
278,183
255,860
238,317
-14
Virgin Islands
14,668
15,140
13,772
-6
Washington
205,404
192,790
193,746
-6
West Virginia
157,912
162,488
161,749
2
Wisconsin
217,998
224,396
224,500
3
Wyoming
14,846
16,189
16,796
13
Source:
Food and Nutrition Service, USDA.
20
21
Figure 2.4:
Percentage of Food Stamp Program Cases Reported as
Improperly Denied or Terminated, by State, Fiscal Year 1985
Source:
Food and Nutrition Service, USDA.
22
22
PERCENTAGE OF FOOD STAMP CASES
IMPROPERLY DENIED OR
TERMINATED, NATIONWIDE
AND BY STATE
In fiscal year 1985, the percentage of cases, nationwide, in
which household benefits were improperly denied or terminated was
about 3.1 percent, according to the results of states' quality
control reviews.
A majority of states (33) reported error rates of
2 percent or less (See fig. 2.4.).
From fiscal years 1980 through 1985, the percentage of cases
involving households whose benefits were improperly denied or
terminated, nationwide, declined from about 4 percent to about 3.1
percent (See table 2.3.).
During that period, the percentage of
households who had their food stamps improperly denied or
terminated ranged on a state-by-state basis from 0 (Delaware in
fiscal years 1982, 1984, and 1985 and Kansas in 1985) to over 11
percent (Washington in fiscal years 1984 and 1985 and the District
of Columbia in 1981).
As noted in section 1, the Service does not
validate the accuracy of the state-reported improper denials or
terminations unless a state may be eligible to receive enhanced
funding to administer the program.
We are currently evaluating the
accuracy of states' improper denial and termination error rates as
well as the procedures that states use to develop these error
rates.
We will be reporting the results of that work later this
year.
23
23
Table 2.3:
Percentage of Food Stamp Cases Reported as Improperly
Denied or Terminated, Nationwide and by State,
Fiscal Years 1980 Through 1985
Fiscal Year
Fiscal Year
Fiscal Year
Fiscal Your
Fiscal Year
Fiscal Year
State
1980a
1981a
11,82a
1983
1984
1985
U.S. Total
4.0
3.7
3.7
2.9
3.0
3.1
Alabama
1.2
1.7
1.8
1.9
0.9
1.9
Alaska
5.6
3.4
2.5
3.6
2.9
1.3
Arizona
0.4
3.0
3.0
3.4
2.4
1.4
Arkansas
1.3
1.5
0.3
0.1
0.5
0.1
California
8.3
9.3
9.8
4.2
2.4
4.4
Colorado
1.8
2.6
1.2
1.5
1.1
1.1
Connecticut
2.1
1.2
1.3
0.2
0.5
0.5
Delaware
0.5
1.2
0.0
0.7
0.0
0.0
District of
Columbia
2.5
11.9
1.3
1.4
3.9
1.1
Florida
1.3
2.3
1.4
0.9
1.9
1.5
Georgia
3.2
2.5
1.0
1.5
2.3
3.9
Guam
3.9
2.2
3.1
2.4
N/A
2.0
Hawaii
1.5
1.7
1.0
2.4
1.7
3.2
Idaho
7.7
3.1
2.1
1.9
1.9
2.1
Illinois
3.6
3.2
3.4
2.3
7.5
9.1
Indiana
3.8
2.1
2.3
2.5
1.6
2.8
Iowa
3.6
4.1
4.6
3.7
4.4
1.9
Kansas
1.6
2.5
1.9
3.7
2.0
0.0
Kentucky
1.0
1.6
1.4
1.4
5.2
3.0
Louisiana
2.1
4.0
3.5
1.5
2.1
5.6
Maine
0.5
0.4
1.3
1.8
1.8
0.6
Maryland
6.4
7.3
3.5
3.6
3.3
1.9
Massachusetts
2.5
1.7
1.0
1.3
0.5
1.0
Michigan
6.7
6.2
5.8
4.1
5.4
6.5
Minnesota
5.2
4.5
5.9
8.3
9.8
5.3
Mississippi
0.5
1.1
1.7
1.1
0.7
0.7
Missouri
2.6
1.7
1.1
1.2
0.7
0.6
Montana
7.0
3.1
2.4
3.1
1.6
1.8
Nebraska
5.4
3.5
4.0
0.3
3.1
1.8
Nevada
0.2
0.8
0.7
1.2
0.6
0.3
New Hampshii-e
1.8
3.8
4.2
1.0
0.8
2.7
New Jersey
1.0
1.1
1.2
1.3
0.5
0.8
Neu Am,
,_
2.3
2.0
1.9
1,4
2.4
3.1
New York
1.9
2.0
1.6
2.1
1.4
1.1
North Carolina
2.9
2.2
1.0
2.5
2.4
1.2
North Dakota
0.7
1.6
2.2
1.4
1.4
0.7
Chlo
4.7
2.0
4.6
5.0
6.4
7.0
Oklahoma
0.6
10
3.6
5.2
1.1
6.4
Oregon
i.e
4.4
4.6
4.1
4.2
4.7
Pennsylvania
2.1
5.6
4.2
2.5
4.2
4.5
Rhode Island
1.3
0.9
0.4
1.5
1.5
1.5
South Carolina
1.3
1.1
2.2
2.9
2.3
1.7
South Dakota
0.8
1.3
0.7
2.0
0.5
0.4
Tennessee
2.4
2.1
2.3
2.1
0.6
0.1
Texas
3.2
5.5
8.0
4.9
1.9
1.4
Utah
2.1
2.7
4.3
2.6
0.3
0.2
Vermont
2.5
2.8
0.8
2.4
3.5
2.7
Virgin Islands
3.9
3.6
3.8
4.1
4.3
6.3
Virginia
1.7
2.0
1.9
1.9
2.0
2.7
Washington
7.9
5.4
6.4
5.5
11.2
11.4
West Virginia
0.7
1.3
2.7
1.1
0.5
0.4
Wisconsin
1.9
1.8
1.9
2.1
1.6
0.8
Wyoming
1.3
1.7
1.0
2.5
1.2
0.5
1Prior to fiscal year 1983, the Service published separate error rates for the first and second half of each
fiscal year.
Error rates for these perloda have been weighted and an average developed for the fiscal year.
N/A:
Not available.
Source:
Food and Nutrition Service, USDA.
24
24
APPENDIX I.
APPENDIX I
COMMENTS FROM THE
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Note:
GAO comments
supplementing those
in the report text
appear at the end
of this appendix.
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20250
February 17, 1987
Mr. J. Dexter Peach
Director, Resources, Community
and Economic Development Division
General Accounting Office
Washington, D. C.
20546
Dear Mr. Peach:
This is in response to the General Accounting Office (GAO) proposed report
entitled, Dod Stamp program: =kin az= Applications, Participation.
terdalra,_ and Terminations.
Our primary concern with the proposed report is the presentation of numbers for
households terminated fran food stamp participation and the unduplicated number
of households receiving benefits annually.
Because these numbers are not
reported directly by States to the Food and Nutrition Service, GAO used other
information that is available to develop these numbers.
In both instances, the
numbers are fran unverified, disparate data sources.
Since the numbers are, at
best, an approximation, they could misrepresent the actual trends in the subject
areas.
At a minimum, wherever in the report the number of households terminated from
Food Stamp Program participation is presented, it should be described as a GAO
estimate.
Similarly, the annual participation numbers should be presented as GAO
estimates.
Other comments of a more technical nature have been shared with your staff
orally.
We believe that the proposed report generally presents an objective
description of the subject material.
Thank you for the opportunity to comment.
Sincerely,
N W. BODE
Assistant Secretary for
Food and Consumer Services
26
25
APPENDIX I
APPENDIX I
GAO COMMENTS:
As the Department correctly points oute the numbers for
households terminated and the unduplicated number of households
receiving benefits annually are not directly reorted by the
states to the Service.
Therefore, we attempteu to estimate the
number of terminations and total annual participation using the
Service's best and most recent available data.
Because of the
limitations on these data,
..'e were unable to develop meaningful
estimates of food stamp terminations.
However, we were able to
estimate total annual program participation, and, as the
Department suggests, our report identifies these numbers as GAO
estimates.
Our procedures for developing these estimates were
coordinated with Service officials, and these officials agreed
with the logic of our approach.
Nevertheless, for the reasons
cited by the Department, we acknowledge that these estimates
should be interpreted cautiously in drawing conclusions about
trends in food stamp participation.
We describe our methodology
for developing these estimates in section 1
of this report.
27
26
APPENDIX II
APPENDIX II
MAJOR CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS REPORT
Resources, Community, and Economic Development Division,
Washington, D.C.
Brian P. Crowley, Senior Associate Director, (202) 275-5138
John W. Harman, Associate Director
Barry T. Hill, Group Director
Stanley J. Czerwinski, Assignment Manager
June M. Foster, Evaluator-in-Charge
Gregory D. Knight, Writer-Editor
Julian L. King, Information Processing Assistant
Michelle Y. Perry, Clerk-Typist
(023260)
23
27
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