| Project: Trends in Food Stamp Program Certification Costs, 1989-2001 |
| Award Year: 2002 |
| Amount of award, fiscal 2002: $245,143.00 |
| Institution: Abt Associates, Inc. |
| Principal Investigator: Christopher Logan |
| Status: Completed |
| Detailed Objective: This study examines the trends and composition of Food Stamp Program administrative costs, focusing on certification costs, the largest component, and the relationship between the number of participants and administrative cost per participant. It analyzes data on State administrative costs for 1989-2001 to determine the composition of these costs, the variation among States in each component and in overall costs, and the cost trends over time among States. The Food Stamp Program's Quality Control data for 1989-2001 will be analyzed to construct annual State-level summary measures of major certification tasks, participant characteristics, and payment error rates. Key participant characteristics include percent with earnings, percent with public assistance, and percent elderly. A pooled time series cross-section model of certification costs per participant will be estimated at the State level, using the Quality Control data. Explanatory variables to be tested in this model include participation levels, pay rates for government workers, and unemployment rates. |
| Topic: Program Integrity, SNAP/Food Stamp Program |
| Dataset: Food Stamp Program Quality Control Data (FSPQC) |
Output:
Logan, C., W. Rhodes, and J. Sabia. Food Stamp Program Costs and Error Rates, 1989-2001, Contractor and Cooperator Report No. 15, USDA, ERS, January 2006. |