Federal report prompts local welfare office to cut bureaucratic requirements
By Pacific Island Times News Staff
Guam ranked fifth among the U.S. states and territories with the highest case and procedural error rates for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, a federal welfare assistance previously known as food stamps.
According to the Food and Nutrition Service’s report released in June, Guam had an error rate of 77.97 percent in fiscal 2023.
The FNS report prompted the Guam Department of Health and Social Services to reform its program implementation by shortening the list of bureaucratic requirements.
The department’s Division of Public Welfare has eliminated bank statements and school verification as requirements to qualify for SNAP.
Health officials said the department’s move to drop the two documents from the list of requirements was part of an initiative to improve Guam’s SNAP.
Last year, the department dropped the requirement for mayor’s verification.
The welfare office now requires only an identification card, proof of citizenship, proof of unearned income, residency and guardianship.
“Although the FY2023 report shows Guam being at one of the highest in SNAP payment and case and procedural error rates, I would like to inform our people that we are taking strides toward improvement,” said Therese Arriola, the department’s acting director.
According to FNS, a case and procedural error occurs “when a state takes one or more inaccurate or procedurally incorrect actions when denying, terminating, or suspending a household’s SNAP benefits.”
The FNS said it works closely with state agencies to minimize case and procedural errors through technical assistance, training for caseworkers, improving data systems and implementing new policies and procedures.
“FNS has informed me that, for the first quarter of FY2024, Guam’s error rate has improved and is moving in the right direction,” Arriola said.
The states with the highest error rates in 2023 were Alaska (87 percent), Delaware (83 percent), Georgia (82 percent), South Carolina (80 percent) and Guam (77.97 percent)
“It is essential that SNAP state agencies accurately determine who is eligible for benefits and how much they are eligible for,” FNS said.
Guam had approximately 39,000 residents enrolled in SNAP based on the latest available data for 2021. Under the program, which covers the cost of food, groceries and other necessities, a household of one receives $430 a month, and a household of six receives $2,044 a month.
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