ATLANTA — (Editor's note: The video above this story is from a previous SNAP report.)
The U.S. Department of Agriculture secretary is calling for immediate action from Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and other states, concerning the need to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
SNAP is a federal program that operates as a safety net for millions of Americans, yet falls under state administration. Vilsack addressed 47 U.S. governors in the letters issued Feb. 8, including Gov. Kemp, highlighting the importance of timely and accurate processing of SNAP benefits and the impact on vulnerable families.
"SNAP serves as our nation’s foundational safety net, a crucial resource for the well-being of low-income families, older adults, and individuals with disabilities,” wrote Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in the letter. “Timely and accurate SNAP processing is critical to meeting the nutrition needs of low-income families and protecting the integrity of SNAP. Americans in need should have access to essential benefits without unnecessary delays. States must deliver benefits in the right amounts, to the right individuals, in the required periods of time.”
11Alive News has extensively covered issues with SNAP benefits since Thanksgiving of 2022. Data included in the secretary's letter indicates that Georgia had an Application Processing Timeliness (APT) rate of 84.90% in Fiscal Year 2022, a benchmark which should be above 95%.
Additionally, the state reported an overpayment error rate of 11.75% and an underpayment rate of 3.23%, exceeding the acceptable limits of 6% when the two numbers are added together.
In November, the USDA Food and Nutrition Service sent formal notice to the Georgia Department of Human Services, which administers the program in Georgia, demanding state leaders submit a corrective action plan. That letter indicated Georgia is "severely out of compliance with Federal requirements" related to processing new applications on time; federal law requires benefits be issued to eligible recipients within 30 days in the majority of cases.
The backlog in new applications comes as the department continues to dig out of backlog of SNAP renewal cases. Prior to the release of Vilsack's letter, 11Alive asked GA DHS for updates on efforts to resolve the backlog. While the spokesperson was unable to confirm when the issue would be resolved, the department continues to utilize staff overtime on a voluntary basis to expand the capacity of caseworkers. Other efforts include:
- Offering stipends to incentivize SNAP-trained staff who don’t normally carry a caseload to process renewals;
- Ensuring caseworker dashboards focus their attention on the oldest renewals first;
- Working with Georgia Tech industrial engineers to examine our task-routing process and subsequently implement a new task-routing system that removes manual work and empowers supervisors on the ground to prioritize work for their teams more efficiently.
- Bringing back retired caseworkers to help process renewals; and
- Hiring new Economic Support Specialist 1 workers (over 1,200 since January 2023).
In recent months, the department also implemented one of the USDA's longtime recommendations referenced by Vilsack's letter: extending certification periods for SNAP renewals. Long term goals for the department, a DHS spokesperson shared, will also focus on a redesign of the task-routing process, which will cost an estimated $4 million.
11Alive has asked Governor Brian Kemp's office for a response to the secretary's letter. The governor's press secretary has repeatedly referred questions back to DHS.
In the interim, Vilsack's letter indicates the USDA plans to continue working with states experiencing challenges.
"We share your desire to build strong service delivery systems that meet the needs of low-income people, and we look forward to continuing our work together to strengthen the nutrition security of American families," Vilsack said.
11Alive now 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.