Who gets the bonus?

The Food Stamp Program is USDA's largest domestic nutrition assistance program serving more than 28 million individuals each month and has given the states that administer the program $48 million in bonuses this year for 2007. It was renamed SNAP as of October 1, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which is supposed to imply healthier food.

OK, call it whatever you wish, but what do states do with their bonuses for outstanding customer service? For improved program access? For processing applications in a timely manner? For excellence in administering benefits. Do the poor people get this money or do the government employees? I’m counting $48 million in bonuses--that’s about $1.70 per person on the program. However, we know it would cost more than that to cut them each a check, so who’s getting the bonus? Do they close the office early one Friday and have a big party for the clerical staff? Do the Executive Directors get to go to Hawaii or Florida?

1) $18 million
USDA's Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services announced Sept. 26 $18 million in bonus awards to states in fiscal year (FY) 2007 for outstanding and timely customer service in the administration of what has been known as the Food Stamp Program, soon to be known by name change from Congress as "SNAP" - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
$12 million
Each year USDA awards a total of $12 million in high performance bonuses to the eight States with the best and most improved program access index.

$6 million
USDA also awards a total of $6 million among the six States with the timeliest processed applications.
2) $30 million
In June 2008, the Food Stamp Program awarded $30 million to states for excellence in administering benefits.

To see if your state was awarded a bonus see USDA FNS Press Release Ohio must have a really shoddy work force helping the poor because we didn't get a single bonus. Or maybe they call it a paycheck?