Oklahoma's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is experiencing payment error rates of 11.04%, higher than the state's anticipated 6.5% to 8.5%, lawmakers learned during an interim study Thursday examining food assistance and nutrition programs.
The Oklahoma Department of Human Services reported that it prevented more than $5 million in erroneous benefit payments after tripling employee training time, implementing additional quality-control checkpoints and reviewing more than 75,000 cases over the past year. DHS Director Jeffrey Cartmell said the agency emphasized that program performance should be evaluated not only by processing metrics but also by whether families become more stable and move toward greater independence.
According to Hunger Free Oklahoma estimates, more than one in four Oklahoma children do not get adequate food, and nearly seven in 10 public school students qualify for free or reduced-price meals. Alexina Cather of Wellness in the Schools discussed research linking improved school nutrition standards to reduced obesity rates among children living in poverty.
The lawmakers also examined home-delivered meals. Mom's Meals reported delivering more than 630,000 meals to more than 8,500 clients over the previous 12 months and employing around 180 people. Homestyle Direct provides meals through Oklahoma's Medicaid Advantage Waiver Program. According to Homestyle Direct CEO Jeff Barteau, "For an older or disabled Oklahoman living alone, the inability to prepare reliable, appropriate meals is often the first thing that makes their home unsafe." An annual cost of one home-delivered meal per day is about $2,200, compared with approximately $82,000 for nursing facility care.
Oklahoma's two food banks served more than 2 million summer meals in 2026, mostly through options allowing families to take meals home. A proposed Farmers Against Hunger initiative, a $2 million pilot program developed with the Oklahoma Farm Bureau and Oklahoma Pork Council, is estimated to provide 3 million pounds of locally raised meat to families in need.
Double Up Oklahoma helps SNAP participants purchase fresh fruits and vegetables through incentive programs. A three-month follow-up showed participants increased their fruit and vegetable intake by almost one serving per day.