Food Stamp Payments: Data Revealed USDA Overpaid Nearly 10% Of Food Benefits!

New data reveals that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) overpaid nearly 10% in the 2022 fiscal year for food stamp payments. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), administered by the USDA, had an overpayment rate of 9.84% compared to the 6.18% rate in the 2019 fiscal year, Dailly Caller reported.

Food Stamp Payments, Data Revealed USDA Overpaid Nearly 10% Of Food Benefit Payouts! (PHOTO: Pacific Standard)

Food Stamp Payments Errors

The overpayment rates varied by state, with Maryland overpaying 32.65% of food stamp payments, Tennessee 19.04%, and Alaska having the highest overpayment rate at 56.69%.

The USDA acknowledges that the national error rate is unacceptable and poses a threat to the integrity of the program. The agency urges state governors and administrators to establish corrective action plans and work with the USDA to address the root causes of food stamp payments error.

It is crucial to improve program operations, ensure accountability to taxpayers, and target benefits to those who are most in need.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic challenges have put significant strain on program administration. The expansion of SNAP during this period added to the complexity of managing the program. The USDA recognizes the challenging circumstances under which state agencies were operating and the ongoing recovery efforts they face.

The data revealed that the error rates for food stamp payments across all states were 11.54%, with overpayments accounting for 9.84% and underpayments for 1.7%. In the 2022 fiscal year, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provided a total of almost $114 billion in assistance to individuals with low or no income for their food needs.

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Data On Food Stamp Payments Errors

Based on the data from the Office of Management and Budget, the USDA’s improper food stamp payments in the 2022 fiscal year reached $1.9 billion. This contributes to the broader issue of improper payments made by the federal government, which amounted to $528 billion during the first two years of the Biden administration.

To promote racial equity, the Biden administration allocated $6 million in grants to state agencies responsible for administering SNAP programs.