The Department of Human Services Division of Family Assistance (DFA) will be awarded a High Performance Bonus from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) in the amount of $145,929 for being among the U.S. agencies with the most improved negative error rate in implementing the State Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) during fiscal year 2011.
The USDA monitors the accuracy of a state or territory in approving, denying, terminating, or suspending benefits to a household, hence the negative error rate. The under secretary of agriculture with oversight of Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services (FNCS) has monitored Human Services SNAP operations and marked an improved rate from 14.65 percent in FY 2010 to 9.86 percent in FY 2011. The national average rate is 8.30 percent. This significant decrease of 4.79 percent directly relates to one of FNCS’ overarching goals of improving customer service.
Human Services Commissioner Christopher E. Finch said, "I am very proud of the staff who accomplished this even while still handling an unrelenting increase in clients that started in 2008 which has led to SNAP benefits more than doubling in the territory. This shows the staff commitment to making sure program rules are followed and their clients receive the correct benefits. I am confident that next year we will get our error rate even lower. I commend the Administrator Lennox Zamore and his staff on this accomplishment."
A large percent of the award will be issued to staff in the form of a bonus and the difference will be used to administer the SNAP program. The Division of Family Assistance has been awarded for high performance bonuses for the administration of the program since 1995. In 2006 DFA was awarded $188,353.00 from the USDA FNS for being second in the nation having the lowest error rate for fiscal year 2005. In 2003 the division received a High Performance Bonus in the amount of $124,640.
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