Georgia promises to provide delayed SNAP payments by Thanksgiving
Georgia families scrambling over food assistance delays
The calls and emails have been flooding into FOX 5 about families unable to get their benefits, so the I-Team reached out to officials. The state has admitted there's an application backlog causing big delays, but say customers should be caught up by Thanksgiving.
ATLANTA - Georgia officials are promising to provide full benefits to a number of people who have not received food assistance aid for weeks or even months because of bureaucratic problems.
State officials can’t say how many people have failed to get their benefits because of a delay in reviewing applications for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, but they reportedly said the SNAP payments should go out before Thanksgiving.
The FOX 5 I-Team reached out to a Department of Human Services spokeswoman who wrote that inflation has created an increase in applications, and they are also having staffing issues.
These same elements exist nationally, but Georgia seems to stand out for struggling to work it out.
In an email, DHS contends that the state vendor who oversees the online portal is working on a technology solution so customers will be caught up by the Thanksgiving holiday.
State officials say they have taken some new proactive steps, ramping up hiring and offering overtime. They have also received a federal waiver allowing them to trigger benefits for people who have "pending renewals." This should relieve some backlog pressure.
Jovi Iovine and his wife rely on $800 a month from a paycheck and food stamps to feed their two children. He tried to renew food stamps last month, and so far he’s received no indication that the renewal will go through.
"I don’t think it’s fair to my kids to not have Thanksgiving," said Iovine, who lives in Nashville, Georgia. "We’re okay, right this second. But within a week, there’ll be nothing left for the kids."
"My nose is running, I’m shivering," said Crystal Boley, who dodged raindrops while waiting to get in the building. "They just have to do better. This is not it."
She said has three kids at home, the youngest five years old.
Boley said she applied to renew her eligibility for the program in mid-September, weeks before it was set to expire in October.
With the squeeze of inflation, she said is running low and now worries about putting food on the table for her kids.
The program’s website directs people with issues to call 877-423-4746.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.