# Section 2: What can states do now?

### <i class="fa-circle-check">:circle-check:</i>  Key takeaways

1. Drawing from our [research and theory of change](https://usdr.gitbook.io/benefits-resource-hub/u.s.-digital-response-snap-payment-accuracy-playbook#usdrs-theory-of-change), our plays center ways to make it easier for SNAP staff to do their job — which, in turn, will reduce errors.
2. Catching errors before benefits go out is the highest-impact opportunity. The challenge is targeting the right cases for a second look.
3. Policy guidance should live inside the tools workers already use. Instead of expecting caseworkers to remember updates from emails and memos, build reminders and explainers directly into the eligibility system — right where and when workers need them.
4. Income errors are a system problem, not a people problem. Caseworkers aren't making mistakes because they lack knowledge — they're working with complicated rules, clunky tools, and too many cases in too short of a time. Fixing errors means fixing the systems workers use, not just retraining workers.

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#### Overview

In this section, we cover specific strategies that states can test for improving payment accuracy. We share challenges we have learned through research with our state partners. We also go through plays to address them.&#x20;

These interventions are based on USDR’s research, which included four- to six-week discovery sprints combining qualitative research with frontline staff and quantitative analysis of QC data. Our research included frontline staff interviews and state subject matter experts; data analysis; workflow observations; and partnerships with state program administrators and county staff. What emerged are different themes that we captured as plays for targeting the most common sources of errors.

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#### Plays for improving SNAP payment accuracy

We crafted the plays with estimated effort ratings — from none to high — for different areas.

| Source            | Description                                                                     |
| ----------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Impact to PER** | Ability to reduce or eliminate errors                                           |
| **Admin effort**  | Effort for setting up a dedicated team or other administrative effort           |
| **Tech effort**   | Effort for full end-to-end technical development of the related systems changes |
| **Worker burden** | Effort required by SNAP staff                                                   |
| **Client burden** | Effort by people who may receive SNAP                                           |

{% hint style="info" %}
**On client burden**

Client burden refers to the time, information, stress, and other hidden costs for a person or household applying for SNAP benefits and doing follow-up paperwork. (For example, being new to SNAP or a non-primary English speaker and struggling with unfamiliar terms or complicated calculations on their application.)
{% endhint %}

#### <i class="fa-circle-arrow-right">:circle-arrow-right:</i>  Go to interventions

{% content-ref url="section-2-what-can-states-do-now/surface-potential-issues-tied-to-client-updates" %}
[surface-potential-issues-tied-to-client-updates](https://usdr.gitbook.io/benefits-resource-hub/snap-payment-accuracy-playbook/section-2-what-can-states-do-now/surface-potential-issues-tied-to-client-updates)
{% endcontent-ref %}

{% content-ref url="section-2-what-can-states-do-now/improve-usability-of-eligibility-system" %}
[improve-usability-of-eligibility-system](https://usdr.gitbook.io/benefits-resource-hub/snap-payment-accuracy-playbook/section-2-what-can-states-do-now/improve-usability-of-eligibility-system)
{% endcontent-ref %}

{% content-ref url="section-2-what-can-states-do-now/double-check-cases-before-final-determination" %}
[double-check-cases-before-final-determination](https://usdr.gitbook.io/benefits-resource-hub/snap-payment-accuracy-playbook/section-2-what-can-states-do-now/double-check-cases-before-final-determination)
{% endcontent-ref %}

{% content-ref url="section-2-what-can-states-do-now/create-more-feedback-loops-between-teams" %}
[create-more-feedback-loops-between-teams](https://usdr.gitbook.io/benefits-resource-hub/snap-payment-accuracy-playbook/section-2-what-can-states-do-now/create-more-feedback-loops-between-teams)
{% endcontent-ref %}

{% content-ref url="section-2-what-can-states-do-now/communicate-with-clients-in-plain-language" %}
[communicate-with-clients-in-plain-language](https://usdr.gitbook.io/benefits-resource-hub/snap-payment-accuracy-playbook/section-2-what-can-states-do-now/communicate-with-clients-in-plain-language)
{% endcontent-ref %}

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