ATLANTA — It's been two years since 11Alive first reported problems with Georgia families not receiving critical food benefits. With the arrival of another Thanksgiving here, the state confirms caseworkers are still working to clear tens of thousands of SNAP cases that are overdue.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, provides food benefits to low-income families to supplement their food budget and is intended to be a safety net. Yet, in the past two years, Georgia families have repeatedly contacted 11Alive News with struggles getting their benefits or reaching a caseworker.
As of Tuesday, 43,785 SNAP applications remain overdue, while 2,574 renewals also await processing. A spokesperson with Georgia's Department of Human Services said in a statement that it's "worth noting that applications may contain duplicates, including multiple applications by one person and existing customers' submissions."
The number of overdue cases can be a moving target as more families either apply for benefits or additional cases come up for recertification. Still, federal law ultimately requires SNAP benefits to be issued to eligible families within 30 days for most cases and seven days for expedited cases.
11Alive has been investigating issues with the SNAP backlog since November 2022, when SNAP recipients first reached out about waiting for their food benefits before the Thanksgiving holiday. At the time, the state pointed to an increase in need, a shortage of workers and a push for technology to fix the backlog.
Yet 11Alive uncovered other reasons for the backup, which carried over into Thanksgiving 2023 and beyond. These included additional strain on the department from the state's 'one-time cash assistance program' and a related security issue.
In November 2023, following back and forth between federal regulators and state officials, the USDA issued a letter to Georgia Department of Human Services Commissioner Candice Broce in response to the state's declining APT rate. The letter indicated that "Georgia is severely out of compliance with Federal requirements," as an APT rate of 95% and above is considered acceptable. Georgia's rate, the letter stated, has been "concerning for some time."
As a result, Georgia DHS was required to submit a corrective action plan defining the reasons the state is experiencing delays with new applications. That plan also had to include strategies and a timeline for Georgia to get back in compliance with federal standards.
11Alive has repeatedly asked the state when the backlog is expected to be resolved, but DHS has not provided a timeline to date.
In a recent Georgia Department of Human Services board meeting, John Hallman, Deputy Commissioner for the Office of Family Independence, noted the continued need for more staff to handle the state's workload. Hallman also highlighted new salary bumps for supervisors as part of DHS' retention efforts while also noting a recent "win" in the form of a new task routing system that's given caseworkers and supervisors new flexibility to streamline and prioritize incoming tasks.
DHS tells 11Alive that other efforts to tackle the backlog include a new system that lets families reschedule appointments if they are unable to attend an upcoming interview and a new way for clients to submit and verify income, which is necessary for the application and renewal process.
"We continue to hire aggressively to further expand our capacity to meet our workload," Ellen Brown, spokesperson with DHS, added.
As the SNAP backlog persists, DHS confirmed the call volume has also increased as caseworkers juggle other initiatives, including D-SNAP. The Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) was implemented earlier this fall to help families impacted by Hurricane Helene.
"Following the completion of D-SNAP on Saturday, Nov. 23, DHS resources have been redirected to assist with outstanding SNAP renewals and applications, with employees working tirelessly and taking on extra duties to process those cases as quickly as possible before the holidays," spokesperson Ellen Brown stated. "Customers who wish to check the status of their case can do so through their Gateway account. Their case status will be updated there as soon as their case is processed."
11Alive has a running list of resources for families experiencing SNAP disruptions. Viewers who want to speak with a reporter about the delays can email the newsroom.
11Alive has a running list of resources for families experiencing SNAP disruptions. Viewers who want to speak with a reporter about the delays can email the newsroom.
