LIHU‘E — The recession is being blamed for the state of Hawai‘i falling behind on processing an increase in applicants for food stamps, but there is also confusion over different compliance rates reported by state and federal agencies. The state
LIHU‘E — The recession is being blamed for the state of Hawai‘i falling behind on processing an increase in applicants for food stamps, but there is also confusion over different compliance rates reported by state and federal agencies.
The state was recently ordered to comply with a federal mandate to process food stamps within 30 days of receiving an application. But the federal agency providing funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, which is now what the food stamp program is called, offers different rates than the state agency distributing the assistance.
“As of December 2011, overall timeliness (30 days) statewide was 76.5 percent. Expedited (seven-day processing) was provided 66.9 percent of the time statewide,” said Kayla Rosenfeld, communications specialist at the state Department of Human Services.
However, Hawai‘i’s compliance rate as reported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service, the federal agency tasked with SNAP funding, is lower than what the state Department of Human Services (DHS) released, according to Cordelia Fox, a spokesperson for the USDA Food and Nutrition Service.
As of December 2011, Hawai‘i’s compliance rate with the federal mandate was 70.63, she said. Fox did not provide numbers for expedited compliance.
Rosenfeld blamed the state’s low compliance on the recession.
“Between July 1, 2008, and June 30, 2011, applications for SNAP benefits increased by 63 percent,” she said. “Concurrent with the increase in applications, the DHS also experienced a substantial workforce reduction and lost time due to furloughs. These two factors significantly contributed to the backlog of SNAP applications.”
The DHS compliance chart shows a decline in compliance rates consistent with Rosenfeld’s explanation. In 2008, compliance was 90.2 percent. In 2009, it was 85.8 percent and in 2010, it was 78.8 percent on the DHS chart.
But the numbers provided by the USDA show a somewhat steady compliance rate since 2008. The USDA chart shows that the compliance rate was 89.2 percent in 2008, 88.09 percent in 2009 and 81.32 percent in 2010. It was only in 2011 that the compliance rate dropped significantly, according to the USDA chart.
The DHS chart also shows compliance rates much higher than those provided by the USDA in the first half of the last decade. In 2003, for example, DHS shows a compliance rate of 88 percent, while the USDA shows it at 70.67 percent — a 17.33 percent discrepancy. A margin of at least 10 percent discrepancy is present in 2004 and 2005.
Processing rates for SNAP applications are established by law by the USDA. No state is currently achieving the 100 percent benchmark set by the federal government, Rosenfeld said.
“Historically, the Department of Agriculture does not intervene unless the processing timelines drop significantly below the statutory rates,” Rosenfeld said, adding that U.S. District Judge Alan Ezra’s order in January reflects a nationally acceptable range of tolerance and recognizes that Hawai‘i has voluntarily undertaken steps to remedy the backlog.
Kaua‘i’s compliance rate
Kaua‘i’s compliance rates since 2007 have fluctuated between 78 percent and 89 percent, according to Rosenfeld.
“As of Dec. 31, 2011, Kaua‘i’s timeliness was 81.3 percent,” Rosenfeld said, adding that implementation of the Business Process Re-engineering Program on Kaua‘i is scheduled for June 30. Such programs have brought positive results on other islands, she said, increasing compliance to as much as 95.9 percent in some units, Rosenfeld said.
Once the Business Process Re-engineering Program is in place on Kaua‘i, DHS believes its residents will see a “significant increase in overall timeliness and same-day approvals,” Rosenfeld said.
She said SNAP applications can be downloaded from www.realchoices.org or picked up at one of the Kaua‘i offices. The island has an office in Lihu‘e and one in ‘Ele‘ele.
When the application is complete, the applicant should drop off or mail it to one of the offices on Kaua‘i. An eligibility worker will set an appointment date and time.
“Once the Business Process Re-engineering Program rolls out on Kaua‘i later this summer, applicants will be encouraged to take their application to the office, stay for an appointment and have their application processed that same day,” Rosenfeld said.
U.S. District Court ruling
A civil lawsuit filed against DHS alleged the state agency “has failed, is failing and will continue to fail” to process SNAP applications within the timeline prescribed by the SNAP Act and implementing regulations.
Ezra’s ruling on orders the state agency to be in full compliance by Dec. 31 with a 5 percent margin of error.
Eligibility is to be determined retroactive to the time of application, rather than 30 days following its filing.
The road to full compliance is marked with smaller goals. By April 30, DHS has to be 80 percent compliant. By July 31, DHS has to be 85 percent compliant and by Oct. 31, it has to be 90 percent compliant.
The court will retain jurisdiction until DHS is in full compliance and until the action is dismissed. The order will remain in effect until June 30, 2013.
• Léo Azambuja, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) or lazambuja@ thegardenisland.com.
DHS compliance
2003 — 88 percent
2004 — 92.2 percent
2005 — 93.7 percent
2006 — 93.5 percent
2007 — 85.1 percent
2008 — 90.2 percent
2009 — 85.8 percent
2010 — 78.8 percent
2011 — 74.6 percent
USDA compliance
2003 — 70.67 percent
2004 — 80.06 percent
2005 — 83.72 percent
2006 — 77.21 percent
2007 — 81.18 percent
2008 — 89.2 percent
2009 — 88.09 percent
2010 — 81.32 percent
2011 — 70.63 percent
