United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office Resources, Community, and Economic Development Division author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 1994-12-16 monographic deposited born digital 83 p. GA 1.13:RCED-95-13 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-RCED-95-13 P0b002ee18037f282 f:rc95013 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-24 GAOREPORTS-RCED-95-13 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-RCED-95-13 RCED-95-13 Food stamp programs State-administered programs Overpayments Food relief programs Administrative costs Program abuses Electronic funds transfer Cost control Erroneous payments Welfare recipients Food Stamp Fraud Reduction Act of 1993 USDA Food Stamp Quality Control System National Performance Review AFDC Reading (PA) New Mexico Ramsey County (MN) Dayton (OH) Maryland Alabama Avenues to Self-Sufficiency through Employment and Training Services Project Alabama Pure Cash-Out Demonstration Project San Diego Food Stamp Cash-Out Demonstration Project Washington State Family Independence Program Chapter Report RCED Both electronic benefits transfer and cash-out alternatives can reduce fraud, waste, and abuse associated with food stamp coupons, but the reductions possible under the two alternatives have not been quantified by the Agriculture Department's Food and Consumer Service. Neither alternative will reduce the overpayment of benefits--which totaled $1.8 billion in 1993--that occurs from fraud, waste, and abuse in the process for determining eligibility and benefits. Administratively, cash-out is the least expensive of the three systems for delivering benefits. Whether electronic benefits transfer will be less costly to run than the coupon system is unclear. Also, the popularly held assumption that electronic benefits transfer and cash-out will boost program participation has not been proven. With regard to ensuring that benefits are actually used to buy food, the electronic benefits transfer system appears superior to both the coupon and cash-out-systems. Currently, momentum is building to implement a new federal electronic benefits delivery system that would provide government payments and benefits for a host of federal and state programs. In GAO's opinion, the future value and utility of electronic benefits transfer are in the larger arena of a multi-program benefit delivery mechanism instead of in a system for delivery food assistance benefits alone. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-RCED-95-13/html/GAOREPORTS-RCED-95-13.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-RCED-95-13/pdf/GAOREPORTS-RCED-95-13.pdf GAO/RCED-95-13 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-RCED-95-13 Chapter Report GAO/RCED-95-13; Food Assistance: Potential Impacts of Alternative Systems for Delivering Food Stamp Program Benefits; Food stamp programs State-administered programs Overpayments Food relief programs Administrative costs Program abuses Electronic funds transfer Cost control Erroneous payments Welfare recipients Food Stamp Fraud Reduction Act of 1993 USDA Food Stamp Quality Control System National Performance Review AFDC Reading (PA) New Mexico Ramsey County (MN) Dayton (OH) Maryland Alabama Avenues to Self-Sufficiency through Employment and Training Services Project Alabama Pure Cash-Out Demonstration Project San Diego Food Stamp Cash-Out Demonstration Project Washington State Family Independence Program Public Law 101-624 Public Law 103-330