MONTGOMERY – Governor Robert Bentley on Friday announced the Alabama Department of Human Resources Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is receiving a performance bonus award.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) awarded $3,418,525 to Alabama for being among the top six states with the highest percentage of timely processed SNAP applications during fiscal year 2015. Alabama’s application processing timeliness rate was 95.60 percent.
Nancy Buckner
“DHR and Commissioner Nancy Buckner are to be commended for ranking among the nation’s best at customer service for SNAP recipients,” Governor Bentley said. “This award will ensure the SNAP program will continue to improve and recipients continue to receive quality service.”
Section 4021 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 requires the award to be used only for SNAP-related expenses such as investments in technology, improvements in administration and distribution, and actions to prevent fraud, waste and abuse.
“I am extremely pleased that DHR employees in counties across the state are being recognized for the great work that they do every day. This is truly an outstanding accomplishment,” DHR Commissioner Nancy Buckner said. “It’s important that eligible Alabamians receive the best customer service that we can provide, and this performance bonus will be used to help ensure that SNAP benefits are provided to Alabama families and children who need assistance and to enhance our program integrity efforts.”
SNAP benefits are 100 percent federally funded through the USDA Food and Nutrition Service. DHR administers the program and is reimbursed for approximately 50 percent of administration costs by the USDA. There were over 800,000 SNAP recipients in Alabama in August and over half of those recipients were children, elderly or disabled.
Media Release/The Office of Alabama Governor
Robert Bentley
