Food Assistance: Alternatives for Delivering Benefits (Testimony,
05/23/95, GAO/T-RCED-95-202).

This testimony summarizes two recent reports on the Agriculture
Department's (USDA) food assistance program.  A December 1994 report
(GAO/RCED-95-13) compared the current coupon-based system for delivering
food stamp benefits with two alternative systems being tested by
USDA--electronic benefit transfer and providing benefits via check.  GAO
reported that no one system was clearly superior to the other two in all
areas.  A February 1995 report (GAO/RCED-95-115R) identified several
alternatives for food assistance programs.  These included consolidating
multiple programs with similar objectives, improving how benefits to
low-income persons are targeted, and eliminating programs that have not
proven to be effective.

--------------------------- Indexing Terms -----------------------------

 REPORTNUM:  T-RCED-95-202
     TITLE:  Food Assistance: Alternatives for Delivering Benefits
      DATE:  05/23/95
   SUBJECT:  Food stamp programs
             Overpayments
             Program abuses
             Electronic funds transfer
             Welfare recipients
             Elderly persons
             Welfare benefits
             Check disbursement or control
             Disadvantaged persons
             Cost control
IDENTIFIER:  Food Stamp Employment and Training Program
             Food Stamp Program
             USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program
             Commodity Supplemental Food Program
             FNS Nutrition Program for the Elderly
             WIC
             WIC Farmers Market Program
             Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and 
             Children
             California
             Illinois
             Louisiana
             New York
             Texas
             Michigan
             JTPA
             Job Training Partnership Act Program
             Personal Responsibility Act of 1995
             USDA Emergency Food Assistance Program
             USDA Soup Kitchen/Food Bank Program
             
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