![]() Applicants have reported chaos inside DHS offices, she said: Senior citizens have waited in lines of 150 or more that stretch outside offices into the cold security guards, at times, have called police about applicants who expressed frustrations state employees have refused to use translations services for non-English speaking individuals. It’s a lifeline,” said Signe Anderson, senior director of nutrition advocacy for the Tennessee Justice Center.Īnderson said last week that the problems identified months ago haven’t gotten any better for families, who have turned to community organizations like hers for assistance. ![]() The reason why people are turning to SNAP is because they’re having a hard time feeding themselves or their families. “As we transition from the old system to the new one, there has been a temporary increase in our processing times that we are actively working to mitigate.”Īdvocates for Tennessee children and families question why the computer rollout was so poorly launched and note frustrations for families are compounded by widespread reports of mistreatment by state employees. ![]() “This year, the Tennessee Department of Human Services experienced its largest technology transition since 1992,” Danielle Cotton, department spokesperson, said. State officials blame the rollout of a new computer system in June and an ongoing staffing shortage. The family’s benefits, Bryant would learn, had been cut off in error.Īs the holiday season approaches, thousands of Tennessee families who qualify for food assistance have been cut off from food benefits they rely on families recently out of a job or falling on hard times haven’t been able to successfully access first-time aid. It made me feel like a failure.” Jasmine Bryant, 35, lost access to state food benefits for three months due to backlogs at the Tennessee Department of Human Services. They’re used to me cooking home-cooked meals and fresh food that you can’t really get from food banks. “I did everything I could to make sure the kids didn’t know what was going on,” said Bryant, 35. It would be another three months before the Bryant family was restored to the program that allows the single mom to buy fresh fruits, vegetables and protein for her active, sports-playing kids - ages 13, 11 and 8. And at a nearby local Knoxville benefits office, where many of the electronic kiosks were out of order and in-person windows were closed, there were hours-long waits, rude staff and security guards, and few answers. An online application system was often down. Her SNAP benefits - formerly referred to as food stamps -had been cut off without notice, despite no change in the circumstances that allow her family of four to access the nutritional help.īryant made multiple calls to the Tennessee Department of Human Services helpline, where hold times stretch to four hours and hang-ups are a frequent occurrence. Jasmine Bryant was caught by surprise at the grocery store in September, when a state-issued debit card to buy food for her three kids was rejected at the checkout counter. Note: this story has been updated with additional data on staff vacancies and pending applications provided by the Department of Human Services after publication.
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