Data-informed support to help state SNAP agencies improve payment accuracy, sustain access, modernize systems, and strengthen employment and training programs
States are navigating the increasingly complex demands of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). New federal requirements, rising error rates, and expanded oversight are accelerating states' efforts to strengthen programs and support families more effectively. Mathematica helps SNAP agencies take effective action by combining data analytics, operational expertise, and hands-on technical assistance to drive continuous improvement.
Opportunities to strengthen SNAP performance
SNAP agencies need a clear understanding of what drives performance challenges and which improvements they can sustain in practice. The following focus areas highlight ways agencies can strengthen operations, improve payment accuracy, and support lasting performance improvement.
Identify root causes, strengthen quality control, and focus resources on solutions that can reduce risk and improve accuracy over time
Improve workflows, staff supports, training, and policies to reduce bottlenecks, increase consistency, and help staff manage changing requirements
Build practical analytics, tools, dashboards, and system enhancements that flag issues earlier, monitor performance, and improve data reliability
Simplify processes, notices, and participant communications to reduce administrative burden and help eligible participants obtain and maintain benefits
Design and improve programs that align participant needs, provider capacity, and labor market opportunities so services are more likely to support meaningful employment outcomes
How we help states turn insights into improvements
Mathematica helps states connect data, policy, and operations so improvement efforts are targeted and achievable. Our services can support end-to-end engagements or focus on specific challenges requiring targeted expertise.
Pinpoint what is driving performance challenges and where to act first.
- Conduct root-cause analyses
- Analyze available data and case patterns
- Assess workflows, eligibility determinations, and verification practices
- Identify gaps in data quality, system logic, or policy application
- Facilitate partner conversations to align priorities and define next steps
Develop targeted, practical solutions tailored to each state’s policy and operating context.
- Define program improvement strategies
- Design training, tools, and workflow improvements
- Develop analytics, validation checks, and monitoring approaches
- Revise interview scripts, reporting supports, and participant-facing tools
- Support planning for program improvements
Support execution, monitor progress, and adjust course.
- Deliver training, coaching, and technical assistance
- Implement analytics, tools, dashboards, and system changes
- Test and refine solutions based on data and staff feedback
- Establish ongoing monitoring and continuous improvement routines
- Track tailored outcome measures to demonstrate progress and inform course corrections
Our work in action
Explore examples of how Mathematica uses data analytics, operational expertise, and technical assistance to help states strengthen SNAP performance and improve service delivery.
Supporting States on Payment Accuracy
Mathematica developed national guidance and technical assistance resources to help states identify the operational drivers of SNAP payment errors and application delays. Our work included root-cause analysis, corrective action planning, staff training, and peer learning so states could focus improvement efforts on the drivers they can change.
SNAP Quality Control Data Analytics
Mathematica has processed, validated, and hosted state SNAP Quality Control data files for more than 45 years, supporting federal oversight, public-use reporting, and operational analysis. We help translate complex quality control data into action-ready monitoring tools, risk indicators, and operational insights that agencies can use to spot and address performance issues early.
SNAP Modernization
Mathematica supports state efforts to modernize SNAP certification and operations, redesign business processes, and improve how agencies deliver services to participants. We examine how these changes affect timeliness, workload, participant access, and payment accuracy so leaders can understand the benefits and trade-offs before deciding what to scale.
SNAP Employment and Training Program Improvement
Mathematica partners closely with SNAP Employment and Training programs across states to provide technical assistance and guidance to improve program effectiveness. Efforts include leading learning sessions, providing one-on-one analysis and program design support, and using rapid-cycle testing to improve participation, service delivery, and participant outcomes.
Client Access and Operational Improvement
Mathematica helps state agencies identify operational barriers that make it harder for families to apply for, maintain, and navigate benefits. Our work combines partner engagement with rapid-cycle learning approaches to design more accessible and client-centered processes.
SNAP Program Data Analysis and Decision Support
Mathematica helps SNAP agencies strengthen how they collect, integrate, analyze, and use program data to support decision making. We partner with agencies to evaluate the impact of their programs through data system assessments, reporting strategies, and predictive analytics. Caseload analyses also help agencies understand who they are serving and where policy or operational changes could affect different groups.
National Snapshot
Payment accuracy is a growing operational and fiscal issue for states.
National SNAP payment error rates increased following the COVID-19 pandemic, placing greater pressure on state agencies to ensure benefits are issued correctly while maintaining program integrity.
National SNAP Payment Error Rates
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Administration. "SNAP Payment Error Rates." https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/qc/per
Distribution of Payment Error
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Administration. Fiscal Year 2024 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control (SNAP QC) Database. Administrative dataset. Alexandria, VA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Administration, 2025.
Why it matters
Rising error rates are creating historic fiscal pressure for states.
If error rates remain constant, individual states could see SNAP-related costs increase by two to eleven times the current state share of costs.
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Administration, SNAP Payment Error Rates and SNAP State Activity Reports; Mathematica estimates based on FY2024 error rates and FY2023 administrative cost data.
What recent SNAP Quality Control data suggests
72%
of cases report one error.
48%
of errors are related to wages or salaries and shelter deductions.
31%
of errors are identified directly from the case record alone.
43%
of errors are only identified through a quality control interview with clients.
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Administration. Fiscal Year 2024 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control (SNAP QC) Database. Administrative dataset. Alexandria, VA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Administration, 2025.
Common drivers of SNAP error and operational challenges
High turnover and reduced staffing have weakened institutional knowledge.
States are balancing participant access, timeliness of application processing, and payment accuracy simultaneously.
Some agencies are relying on aging eligibility systems and fragmented workflows.
Interview waivers and staffing disruptions contributed to major shifts in processing practices.
Some agencies lack the staff, tools, or resources needed to invest in identifying and addressing errors.
