The Economic Self-Sufficiency (ESS) Program helps low-income individuals and families become self-sufficient. While the program has improved its timeliness in processing applications for services, its continuing high food stamp error rates have resulted in Florida receiving federal penalties totaling over $2.2 million for federal Fiscal Years 2001 and 2002. Improved performance could qualify Florida for federal bonus funding beginning in federal Fiscal Year 2003. While the program's efforts to prevent and recover overpayments have yielded an overall positive return on investment, monies collected in overpayments have not covered costs for the past two years.