PROVIDENCE – The American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island has said that the latest figures from the R.I. Department of Human Services on food stamp assistance performance were “alarming.”
In the letter, the ACLU said that “the percentage of applications [in November] for which expedited [Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program] was issued within 7 days was only 58.19%. This means, of course, that almost four out of every 10 households determined to be the most destitute went without timely assistance during the holiday season.”
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Federal law requires timely food stamp assistance to needy families. Special Master Deming Sherman was appointed to oversee the state’s return to compliance after the botched Unified Health Infrastructure Project computer system roll out.
Sherman recently said that the UHIP backlog was substantially eliminated, however the ACLU said it has reservations about the DHS’ ability to come into compliance in December, saying, that the prediction “doesn’t seems to comport” with November’s results.
Novemeber’s report said that in the month there were 32 expedited cases pending for more than 30 days (expedited are supposed to take seven days) and that 218 non-expedited cases pending more than 30 days – the time limit allotted for timely delivery .
Rhode Island was court ordered to have a 96 percent compliance rate by August in the timely processing of SNAP applications.
Attorneys from both sides of the lawsuit are scheduled to meet with Special Master Sherman on Thursday, the ACLU said.
Chris Bergenheim is the PBN web editor.
