El Paso County DHS experiencing backlog on SNAP – food stamp – recertifications

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO)-- The number of people needing food assistance in El Paso County and across Colorado continues to increase.

According to the Colorado Department of Human Services, between 2019 and 2022, the caseload in El Paso County increased by 22%. Now, El Paso County DHS says it's experiencing a backlog in distributing Supplemental Nutition Assistance Program (SNAP), formally known as food stamps.

KRDO spoke with a woman outside of the Citizens Service Center affected by the backlog.

"You get no food stamps for you and your children but you get this," Denise Jacobson explained while carrying out a box of food given to her by DHS.

Jacobson said she was trying to figure out why she hadn't received her SNAP benefits on time.

"They were just now working on September's recertification," said Jacobson. "I was just very scared at the time."

Jacobson said by advocating for herself, she got her SNAP benefits the next day. However, there are others still waiting.

Kat Fraser, a single mom of three, said she's been on SNAP benefits since 2019.

"It gets worse every year," said Fraser.

Fraser hasn't received SNAP benefits for almost two weeks, putting a strain on her budget.

"It's been difficult. It puts me behind. I’m going to have to catch up for this. It doesn’t seem like much, but I spent my cash that I was supposed to pay my babysitter on food," said Fraser.

Faith Driscoll has been waiting even longer. She said she's been waiting for SNAP benefits for her and her one-year-old son since early October.

"I had called them because I hadn’t heard anything and usually I hear back relatively quickly within about a week. It had been over a month. I recertified on September 24 of 2022, and it’s way past that at this point," said Driscoll.

El Paso County County Human Services told KRDO it's experiencing a month's backup. Records show it took an average of 47 days to process recertification in October.

"That’s because of the workload and increase in recertification because of the pandemic. So as people came in and got benefits during that time it increased our workload and our caseload. People every six months have to be recertified, and interviewed, so that’s a huge workload in itself," said Chris Garvin, the deputy director of El Paso County Human Services.

The workload in El Paso County is about 11% more than last year. According to DHS, through September they're seeing close to 1,200 more cases each month as compared to last year, and employee wise they need to fill 18 positions.

"Then you add on top of that the new employees that have come in and are in training, that’s about 13 percent of our workforce. It takes six months to a year to learn this job and be proficient," said Garvin.

DHS also says to try and catch up, employees have been working overtime and giving up holidays.

"I’m wondering how they’re going to catch up. They tell us to go to the food bank and all these other resources but those are going to be taken fast if everyone needs them," said Driscoll.

DHS officials said they've been discussing about waiving the interview process to get SNAP benefits, but there hasn't been approved at the federal level yet.