The last time Palmer resident Jessica Clayton won food stamps to help feed her and her 10-year-old son on Nov. 1. Never mind.
He manages with the help of two other food banks and the generosity of his friends and a circle of relatives who hunt and fish. To make sure his son can eat, Clayton eats less, which takes away a parent’s ability, he said.
“I can’t be an effective parent when I’m hungry. I have no energy. I’m in a bad mood,” Clayton said.
In Alaska, the State Department of Health’s Division of Public Assistance oversees the delivery of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps. Lately, the state is processing a backlog of SNAP programs and recertifications, which has put Alaskans at a disadvantage from food stamps. Last week, the state’s fitness commissioner said he didn’t know when the SNAP backlog would be eliminated, even though his branch is running with solutions.
Clayton is frustrated and embarrassed that he can’t offer his son other food options.
“Food tastes different when you have to eat it than when you have a choice. I don’t know what other way: food tastes different when you have no other options,” he said.
Clayton mailed his recertification papers, which are genuine paper, to the Alaska Division of Public Assistance in late October, which he will have to do every six months, and is expected to get his next food stamps on Dec. 1. , sent an email to the division.
Clayton wrote, “I didn’t get my food stamps for December and they’re on time, so I’m sure this has something to do with recertification. “He reiterated the data that was in the recertification documents: updates on his homework and home.
It took the state a month to respond to Clayton’s email. The Jan. 3 email indicated receipt of the recertification documents on Nov. 3 and its email on Dec. 1, and read, “We are running as temporarily as possible to process our recertifications. Thank you for your patience. “
Under federal law, the Department of Health will have to provide ongoing SNAP benefits to eligible applicants no later than 30 days after the date of application. Households eligible for expedited processing must obtain their benefits within seven days of applying. Many Alaskan families have been waiting for months, some longer than Clayton. Earlier this month, 10 Alaskans filed a lawsuit against the state, alleging it failed to deliver food stamps within the timeframe required by federal law.
The email was the only communication Clayton got from the state, for an automatic email response, he said, “No phone calls, no paperwork, nothing. “
So, in addition to hunger and frustration, there is the unknown. Clayton said he didn’t know when food stamps would arrive or why there was a delay.
“At least [the state] can just say, ‘Hey, we’re definitely going to end you until January,’ or something like that, so you know how long you have to wait. But this is something unknown; You can just reject me. I don’t know what’s going to happen. I’m sitting in limbo with an open case,” Clayton said. Did I do something wrong? At least tell me that there is a Gentile somewhere at the end of my tunnel.
Clayton said she and some others who have waited months to get food stamps haven’t gotten any explanation for why the delay is causing it.
“None of us feel enough and we don’t know what to do. We don’t even know why this is happening. Like we don’t even know why we’re still waiting,” he said.
The Division of Public Assistance’s backlog of initial programs, recertifications and accelerated programs began in August, which is “when we got 8,000 SNAP recertifications,” Health Department Commissioner Heidi Hedberg said at the Jan. 24 assembly of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.
The state said it may not give an express figure on the length of the buildup, but last week the state had issued SNAP recertification benefits for September, “and so they’re going through this October backlog; it’s less than 900 right now,” Hedberg said.
“Having said that, I know it expired in January and the department is still operating through October, which is not appropriate for Alaskans who are in need and entitled to benefits,” he said.
Hedberg said there were 3 main reasons for the delay. One is replacing data generation systems used for eligibility, adding one that Hedberg said was created in 1959. One slide when presented to the Senate committee read: “The budget crisis has set back efforts to modernize the system.
Hedberg said the branch is struggling to locate workers who can reprogram and update the eligibility data system. Lately, the branch has a programmer who understands this.
“The immediate goal of Array. . . is to hire additional programmers for complete updates to the [eligibility information] system,” Hedberg said. every 12, reducing the number of procedures that the State must manage.
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Another cause of the backlog, Hedberg said, is “the burden of the pandemic that required additional manual processing of benefits for eligible Alaskans. “at the same time it resulted in a higher volume of SNAP recertifications.
The branch said a cyberattack in May is the third leading cause of the delay. In addition, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Health pointed to another cause: a maximum vacuum rate in the Public Assistance Division.
In addition to looking to hire IT staff to help reprogram the eligibility system, the state is seeking a contract for the virtual call center that allows others to contact an eligibility technician. Depending on the state, the call center receives between 1000 and 1500 calls. It hasn’t processed real-time requests since last October in an effort to allow more callers to talk to a live user.
Hedberg said his branch is running with the management and law branches to enter a limited-time emergency staffing contract.
“Temporarily, we are contemplating a staffing contract with a known vendor who knows our systems. We already have an appointment with them. We will hire so they can attend the virtual call center, answer questions and collect this critical data and pass it on. “to our eligibility technicians,” he said.
The branch is also seeking help in communicating and contacting Alaskans about the backlog. With 3 public data positions vacant at the Ministry of Health, Hedberg said the ministry had “a little additional contract to help us with what I call crisis communication. “
Other answers come with obtaining a waiver from the federal government so the department doesn’t have to conduct interviews. The department is also recruiting more eligibility technicians.
TRUSTED SUPPORT NEWS.
by Lisa Phu, Alaska Beacon January 31, 2023
The last time Palmer resident Jessica Clayton won food stamps to help feed her and her 10-year-old son on Nov. 1. Never mind.
He manages with the help of two other food banks and the generosity of friends and a circle of family who hunt and fish. To make sure her son can eat, Clayton eats less, which takes away her ability to be a mother, she said.
“I can’t be an effective parent when I’m hungry. I have no energy. I’m in a bad mood,” Clayton said.
In Alaska, the State Department of Health’s Division of Public Assistance oversees the delivery of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps. Lately, the state is processing a backlog of SNAP programs and recertifications, which has put Alaskans at a disadvantage from food stamps. Last week, the state’s fitness commissioner said he didn’t know when the SNAP backlog would be eliminated, even though his branch is running with solutions.
Clayton is frustrated and embarrassed that he can’t offer his son other food options.
“Food tastes different when you have to eat it than when you have a choice. I don’t know what other way: food tastes different when you have no other options,” he said.
Clayton mailed his recertification papers, which are genuine paper, to the Alaska Division of Public Assistance in late October, which he will have to do every six months, and is expected to get his next food stamps on Dec. 1. , sent an email to the division.
Clayton wrote, “I didn’t get my food stamps for December and they’re on time, so I’m sure this has something to do with recertification. “He reiterated the data that was in the recertification documents: updates on his homework and home.
It took the state a month to respond to Clayton’s email. The Jan. 3 email indicated receipt of the recertification documents on Nov. 3 and its email on Dec. 1, and read, “We are running as temporarily as possible to process our recertifications. Thank you for your patience. “
Under federal law, the Department of Health will have to provide ongoing SNAP benefits to eligible applicants no later than 30 days after the date of application. Households eligible for expedited processing must obtain their benefits within seven days of applying. Many Alaskan families have been waiting for months, some longer than Clayton. Earlier this month, 10 Alaskans filed a lawsuit against the state, alleging it failed to deliver food stamps within the timeframe required by federal law.
The email was the only communication Clayton got from the state, for an automatic email response, he said, “No phone calls, no paperwork, nothing. “
So, in addition to hunger and frustration, there is the unknown. Clayton said he didn’t know when food stamps would arrive or why there was a delay.
“At least [the state] can just say, ‘Hey, we’re definitely going to end you until January,’ or something like that, so you know how long you have to wait. But this is something unknown; You can just reject me. I don’t know what’s going to happen. I’m sitting in limbo with an open case,” Clayton said. Did I do something wrong? At least tell me that there is a Gentile somewhere at the end of my tunnel.
Clayton said she and some others who have waited months to get food stamps haven’t gotten any explanation for why the delay is causing it.
“None of us feel enough and we don’t know what to do. We don’t even know why this is happening. Like we don’t even know why we’re still waiting,” he said.
The Division of Public Assistance’s backlog of initial programs, recertifications and accelerated programs began in August, which is “when we got 8,000 SNAP recertifications,” Health Department Commissioner Heidi Hedberg said at the Jan. 24 assembly of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.
The state said it may not give an express figure on the length of the buildup, but last week the state had issued SNAP recertification benefits for September, “and so they’re going through this October backlog; it’s less than 900 right now,” Hedberg said.
“Having said that, I know it expired in January and the department is still operating through October, which is not appropriate for Alaskans who are in need and entitled to benefits,” he said.
Hedberg said there were 3 main reasons for the delay. One is replacing data generation systems used for eligibility, adding one that Hedberg said was created in 1959. One slide when presented to the Senate committee read: “The budget crisis has set back efforts to modernize the system.
Hedberg said the branch is struggling to locate workers who can reprogram and update the eligibility data system. Lately, the branch has a programmer who understands this.
“The immediate goal of Array. . . is to hire additional programmers for complete updates to the [eligibility information] system,” Hedberg said. every 12, reducing the number of procedures that the State must manage.
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Another cause of the backlog, Hedberg said, is “the burden of the pandemic that required additional manual processing of benefits for eligible Alaskans. “at the same time it resulted in a higher volume of SNAP recertifications.
The branch said a cyberattack in May is the third leading cause of the delay. In addition, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Health pointed to another cause: a maximum vacuum rate in the Public Assistance Division.
In addition to looking to hire IT staff to help reprogram the eligibility system, the state is seeking a contract for the virtual call center that allows others to contact an eligibility technician. Depending on the state, the call center receives between 1000 and 1500 calls. It hasn’t processed real-time requests since last October in an effort to allow more callers to talk to a live user.
Hedberg said his branch is running with the management and law branches to enter a limited-time emergency staffing contract.
“Temporarily, we are contemplating a staffing contract with a known vendor who knows our systems. We already have an appointment with them. We will hire so they can attend the virtual call center, answer questions and collect this critical data and pass it on. “to our eligibility technicians,” he said.
The branch is also seeking help in communicating and contacting Alaskans about the backlog. With 3 public data positions vacant at the Ministry of Health, Hedberg said the ministry had “a little additional contract to help us with what I call crisis communication. “
Other answers come with obtaining a waiver from the federal government so the department doesn’t have to conduct interviews. The department is also recruiting more eligibility technicians.
TRUSTED SUPPORT NEWS.
Alaska Beacon belongs to States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported through grants and a donor coalition as a public 501c charity(3). Alaska Beacon maintains editorial independence. Please contact editor Andrew Kitchenman if you have any questions: info@alaskabeacon. com. Follow Alaska Beacon on Facebook and Twitter.
Lisa Phu covers justice, education and culture for Alaska Beacon. Prior to that, she spent 8 years as an award-winning journalist, reporting for Juneau Empire, KTOO Public Media, KSTK, and Wrangell Sentinel. She has also been a Public Information Officer for the City and District of Juneau, Senior Facilitator for StoryCorps Alaska in Utqiagvik, and an instructor in Tanzania and Bhutan. Originally from New York, Lisa is a first-generation Chinese-American mother of two young girls. You can reach her at [email protected]
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