Oregon Public Broadcasting

The federal government Tuesday awarded the state's food stamps program $1.7 million for its accuracy of payments.

Oregon's Department of Human Services says it instituted a number of policies to better patrol who is receiving government food stamps benefits.

The Federal Government says that helped the state show the greatest improvement in the country, in terms of eliminating food stamp errors.

Bruce Goldberg is the state's director of Human Services. He says a number of policy changes, as well as the Governor's involvement, improved accounting.

But now he says the state's food stamps program should focus on a different priority.

Bruce Goldberg: “The next issue is what we're doing about nutrition. Now that we're doing a good job in being able to get food stamps to people who need it, we now need to work on the kinds of nutritional issues that help people use that benefit in the ways that will make them healthiest.”

Over 400,000 Oregonians receive food stamps every month. The federal government helps pay for the monthly cost, about $40 million.