New data on SNAP denials show the importance of human-centered safety net metrics
Code for America
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By Daniel Mintz
This month, the US Department of Agriculture released key data on a critical part of America’s food safety net: the SNAP Case and Procedural Error Rates (CAPER), which measure how many SNAP cases were wrongly denied or terminated in Fiscal Year 2022. When people’s food benefits are cut off or are denied incorrectly, they and their families can face significant hardship—skipping meals, taking on bad debt, and missing payments on bills for rent and utilities, just to make ends meet. That’s why it’s essential for policy makers to have clear and accurate information about where system problems take help away from people who qualify to receive it.
For the first time, the USDA broke down the national CAPER into categories that looked at things like whether the state took the right action or made an error, sent accurate and timely notices, and/or followed the right procedures.
Overall, in nearly 1 in 5 cases (17%) people's applications for food assistance were denied or their benefits were taken away inaccurately. You can see the full breakdown and explore the CAPER rate by states here: https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/qc/caper
These findings underscore why human-centered metrics are important factors in how we assess the effectiveness of public benefit programs. Understanding where the problems are is the first step in figuring out how to fix them, and we at Code for America are committed to helping government make data-informed decisions to improve service delivery.
Visit our Blueprint for a Human Centered Safety Net to learn more about our vision to serve all safety net clients effectively with empathy and dignity.
Principal at Clarity Solutions Group
10moI think that it is also really important to look at the metrics of procedural denials-- technically "accurate," but not necessarily denied because the applicant was ineligible. Between interview scheduling and required verification submissions there are too many gaps in the process that lead to denials and ultimately new applications. Churn should be a federal metric as well.