REPORTING LIVE AT THE CAPITOL MEGHAN MOSLEY KOCO 5 NEWS. MEGAN, THANK YOU. WITH SNAP BENEFITS POSSIBLY AT RISK HERE IN OKLAHOMA, THE MAN IN CHARGE OF IMPROVING THE PROGRAM SAYS WORK ON SNAP IS UNDERWAY. OUR EVAN ONSTOT SPOKE WITH HIM TODAY AHEAD OF THIS WEEK’S OKLAHOMA CHRONICLE. JOINS US NOW LIVE IN THE NEWSROOM. EVAN, THE STATE NEEDS TO REDUCE ITS SNAP ERROR RATE. RIGHT. SOMETHING INCLUDED IN PRESIDENT TRUMP’S BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL WAS A REQUIREMENT TO TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF ERRORS THAT’S MADE IN THE SNAP PROGRAM, WHICH IS THE PROGRAM THAT GIVES FOOD ASSISTANCE TO HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF OKLAHOMANS. IF WE DO NOT GET THE ERROR RATE BELOW 6%, OKLAHOMA WOULD THEN SUDDENLY BE FORCED TO PAY FOR TENS OF MILLIONS MORE DOLLARS OF THIS. RIGHT NOW, WE’RE ALMOST AT 11%. THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES, OKLAHOMA DHS, IS THE AGENCY THAT RUNS THE SNAP PROGRAM. THEY TAKE IN THE APPLICATIONS, THEY DISTRIBUTE THE BENEFITS. AND THIS WEEK FOR OKLAHOMA CHRONICLE, I SPOKE TO DHS DIRECTOR JEFFREY CARTMELL ABOUT THE CHALLENGE OF REDUCING THE ERRORS. ONE THING CARTMELL TOLD ME IS THAT FRAUD IS NOT DRIVING THE ISSUE HERE. FRAUD CERTAINLY OCCURS IN ANY PROGRAM. I’M NOT GOING TO SAY THERE’S NOT FRAUD IN THE PROGRAM, BUT THE ERROR RATE IS A REFLECTION OF FRAUD. IT’S NOT FRAUDS. FAULT. CORRECT. NOW, DOES SOME FRAUD CAUSE ERROR? YES. BUT DOES EVERY ERROR ITSELF INVOLVE SOME LEVEL OF FRAUD? IT DOESN’T. MOST FRAUD IS GOING TO HAVE TO BE AN INTENTIONAL ACT ON BEHALF OF A CLIENT OR SOMEONE IN THE AGENCY TO VIOLATE THE LAW ON THE ERROR RATE. OFTEN WHAT HAPPENS IS IT’S A MISUNDERSTANDING OF THE INFORMATION THAT WE’RE SEEKING FROM THE CLIENT, OR IT’S A CLIENT FAILING TO UPDATE. AS THEIR SITUATION HAS CHANGED THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THE YEAR. SO CARTMELL LAID OUT THE CHANGES ALREADY UNDERWAY AT OKLAHOMA DHS, INCLUDING A NEW, MUCH MORE EXTENSIVE TRAINING PROGRAM THAT HE SAYS WILL LEAD TO IMPROVEMENTS. YOU’LL SEE THE FULL INTERVIEW ON THIS WEEK’S OKLAHOMA CHRONICLE. SUNDAY, 10 A.M. BUT THERE IS AN OCTOBER 2027 DEADLINE TO DROP THE ERROR RATE BELOW 6%, AND THAT MAY SOUND 2027 LIKE, LIKE A WAYS AWAY. BUT DIRECTOR CARTMELL SAYS THAT THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT WILL TAKE TIME TO IMPROVE
Oklahoma aims to reduce SNAP error rate to avoid financial penalties
Oklahoma’s Department of Human Services is working to lower the SNAP error rate below six percent by October 2027 to prevent significant financial penalties.
Oklahoma’s Department of Human Services is implementing changes to reduce the error rate in its Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which must be below six percent by October 2027 to avoid tens of millions of dollars in penalties.>> Download the KOCO 5 app | Subscribe to KOCO 5’s YouTube channel | Sign up for KOCO 5’s Morning NewsletterThe SNAP program provides food assistance to hundreds of thousands of Oklahomans, and the current error rate is nearly eleven percent. Jeffrey Cartmell, director of Oklahoma DHS, explained that fraud is not the primary issue contributing to the error rate. “Fraud exists in any program, I’m not going to say it does not occur in any program, but the error rate is not a reflection of fraud,” Cartmell said. “It’s not fraud’s fault. Correct. Now does some fraud cause error? Yes. But does every error itself involve some level of fraud? It does not. I mean fraud is going to have to be an intentional act on behalf of a client or someone at the agency to violate the law. On the error rate, often what happens if it’s a misunderstanding of the information that we’re seeking from the client or it’s a client failing to update as their situation has changed throughout the course of the year.”Cartmell laid out the changes underway at Oklahoma DHS, including a new, much more extensive training program that he says will lead to improvements. Get the latest news stories of interest by clicking here.The full interview with Cartmell will be featured on this week’s Oklahoma Chronicle, airing Sunday at 10 a.m.Top HeadlinesFormer Prince Andrew arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office over ties to EpsteinInteractive map shows where wildfires have broken out across OklahomaEverything you need to know about ‘skimo’ the newest Olympic sportCalifornia avalanche is the deadliest in 45 yearsOklahoma fire risk continues after Gov. Kevin Stitt declares state of emergency for 3 counties
Oklahoma’s Department of Human Services is implementing changes to reduce the error rate in its Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which must be below six percent by October 2027 to avoid tens of millions of dollars in penalties.
>> Download the KOCO 5 app | Subscribe to KOCO 5’s YouTube channel | Sign up for KOCO 5’s Morning Newsletter
The SNAP program provides food assistance to hundreds of thousands of Oklahomans, and the current error rate is nearly eleven percent.
Jeffrey Cartmell, director of Oklahoma DHS, explained that fraud is not the primary issue contributing to the error rate.
“Fraud exists in any program, I’m not going to say it does not occur in any program, but the error rate is not a reflection of fraud,” Cartmell said. “It’s not fraud’s fault. Correct. Now does some fraud cause error? Yes. But does every error itself involve some level of fraud? It does not. I mean fraud is going to have to be an intentional act on behalf of a client or someone at the agency to violate the law. On the error rate, often what happens if it’s a misunderstanding of the information that we’re seeking from the client or it’s a client failing to update as their situation has changed throughout the course of the year.”
Cartmell laid out the changes underway at Oklahoma DHS, including a new, much more extensive training program that he says will lead to improvements.
Get the latest news stories of interest by clicking here.
The full interview with Cartmell will be featured on this week’s Oklahoma Chronicle, airing Sunday at 10 a.m.
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