Summary: Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed whether federal regulations and certain state and local practices and procedures discourage or prevent eligible persons from participating in the Food and Nutrition Service's (FNS) Food Stamp Program.
GAO found that some local offices: (1) had limited office hours and restrictive interviewing schedules; (2) required households to complete screening forms before providing them food stamp applications and interviews; (3) did not encourage applicants to file partial applications to establish filing dates; (4) did not consider applicants for expedited benefits or did not provide expedited benefits on time; (5) denied applications prematurely; and (6) did not help applicants obtain the documents they needed to complete their applications. GAO also found that some states: (1) inappropriately terminated households' food stamp benefits when they terminated their public assistance benefits; (2) transferred clients from one project area to another, causing benefit interruptions; and (3) terminated food stamp benefits on the basis of unverified allegations of changes in household circumstances. In addition, GAO found that households with the same income could receive more food stamps in some states than others because FNS regulations permit two methods for states to calculate a household's monthly income.
