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RCED-84-112 1 (1984-09-11)

handle is hein.gao/gaobabetc0001 and id is 1 raw text is: BY THE US GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE Report To The Secretary Of Agriculture Better Wage-Matching Systems And Procedures Would Enhance Food Stamp Program Integrity When participants in the Department of Agriculture's Food Stomp Program do not report all their earned income, more food stamp benefits are issued than necessary Such unplerreporting is the most significant cause of food stamp ov~rissuances, which currently are about $1 billion an- nually--the equivalent amount of food assistance provided to almost 2 million people annually To reduce over- issuances, the Congress has required states to match wage data from external sources, such as employers, with pa ticipants' reported earnings to verify eligibility and benefit levels. Wage matching can be an effective method for improving the program's integrity GAO found, however, that states need to improve their systems for identifying significant differences in earnings and for achieving more effective local follow-up to confirm potential unreported earnings, adjust benefit levels, and establish and collect claims for overissuances. GAO recommends several actions that the Department cf Agriculture should take to improve states' wage-matching operations D S7I U z - 'I ccous O 125103 GAO/RCED-84-112 SEPTEMBER 11, 1984 I - mma