Department of Health, Department of Health Facilities, and Department of Human Services

​West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) Cabinet Secretary Karen L. Bowling today announced DHHR will receive a performance bonus award of $652,074 from the United States Department of Agriculture for exceptional efforts serving those eligible for food benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

For the second year, West Virginia is one of the states with the most improved Program Access Index (PAI).  The PAI is the number of SNAP participants reported by the state divided by the estimated number of eligible people in the state. In 2014, DHHR achieved a PAI of 86%.

“I am so proud of the Department’s commitment to helping eligible households access healthy food through SNAP benefits,” said Bowling. “If you need help purchasing nutritious food for your family, I encourage you to contact DHHR to find out how SNAP can help.”

The bonus award may be used for SNAP-related expenses, such as investments in technology, improvements in administration and distribution, and actions to prevent fraud, waste and abuse.

SNAP is administered by the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources and governed by federal law and regulations of the US Department of Agriculture. This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.