Source: USDA, 12/6/11

TODAY, USDA Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services Kevin Concannon will host a national media conference call to announce a new range of aggressive tactics to further improve integrity in USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) – formerly known as food stamps. The announcement directly supports the administration’s Campaign to Cut Waste and highlights efforts to root out waste, fraud and abuse in federal spending so taxpayer dollars are invested wisely. The new tactics underscore USDA’s unprecedented approach to combating trafficking – the sale of SNAP benefits for cash.

While a relatively limited problem, no level of trafficking or other crime is acceptable or tolerated by USDA. The department uses all available resources – from state-of-the-art technology to undercover investigations – to reduce and prevent trafficking and prosecutes abuses to the fullest extent of the law. Trafficking only diverts about 1 cent for every benefit dollar issued. The trafficking rate has fallen significantly over the last two decades, from about 4 cents on the dollar in 1993 to about 1 cent in 2006-08. By utilizing the new tools and tactics being announced, USDA will continue to reduce the rate of trafficking.