The state’s ill-handled administration in the Federal Supplemental Nutrition Aid Program prompted an intervention in Governor. Mike Dunleavy’s budget plan which was unveiled on Thursday.
In Alaska, the waitlist of SNAP applications grew by a third between the months of August and November; over 12,000 Alaskans have been waiting for more than a month to receive the benefits of food stamps.
The governor suggested spending $8.8 million for 30 more full-time workers to handle applications in the Division of Public Assistance and $5 million to boost supplies at the food banks of the state.
This year’s food security fund provides more funds to the food bank and staff than the previous year’s. The backlog, however, was higher: 15,000 requests were rejected and a lot of Alaskans have waited for months to receive food assistance. Governor Alaska also added a number of million in the budget for FY24. These included $3.7 millions for contractors employees, $1.7 for food banks and $54 million for upgrades to computers. In the beginning, the state claimed that its full-time staff was adequate.
Dunleavy chief of staff Tyson Gallagher briefly addressed the topic at the governor’s budget press conference on Thursday. He said that food security is an “huge importance” of the Administration.
He claimed that the current backlog is caused by rising an increase in inflation, issues in staff recruitment and retention as well as an outdated system as well as delays in the implementation of the technology overhaul meant to correct the old process. He also said there are “onerous” federal regulations have also led to slowdowns. The federal government ordered the state to start interviewing clients once more after a break because of the pandemic.
Department of Health Commissioner Heidi Hedberg declared that the aim is to eliminate the backlog within 90 days. She noted that 154 employees from the state are currently working on processing SNAP applications. They are aiming to finish between 950 and 1,200 applications each week.
She also said she had directed her Division of Public Assistance to adopt unusual time-saving measures on an interim basis to speed up the processing. The federal government has denied the state’s request to waive the requirement to suspend the necessary screening of applicants to find out if they are eligible however Hedberg allows employees to violate the rules. For example, the department has suspended interviews and has not verified the financial claims in applications.
“I will ensure that Alaskans receive their advantages in a timely manner,” she said.
Division of Public Assistance Director Deb Etheridge said that they are in contact with Federal partners, and explained to them about the work they’re doing. The state was able to waive the processing requirements in the spring of this year, Etheridge said they might be subject to sanctions.
Hedberg added that there are the need for systemic changes that will prevent any further delays to the program. A web-based application for food assistance is scheduled to be available at the end of the month Hedberg said that it will aid Alaskans submit full applications and less forms for Division of Public Assistance.
In the months ahead, Alaskans can expect an online self-service portal through which they can upload their documents and track how their applications are progressing. Documents that are missing are the reason why many applications are rejected or are stalled in the backlog, staff have told me that, and Alaskans who’ve waited months for food stamps, say the long wait times each time they contact the agency are an issue.
In the summer of late, Hedberg said people will be able to sign-up for emails for those who prefer regular mail.
“Right now, all notices are being sent by snail mail to avoid getting delayed in delivery,” the woman said.
The IT enhancements in the budget for last year’s fiscal year should be available before the close of 2024 or start of the year 2025. Hedberg said.
“We are working quickly on getting rid of this SNAP backlog however, we need to take care of these IT system modifications. While we are making these IT changes, it’s going to build a more durable system, to prevent the backlogs from happening again later on,” She said.
“Right right now, we’re working in opposition to time.”
