Onondaga County is seeing fewer residents receive federal food assistance than it did a year ago. But the county’s social services commissioner says the work of administering those benefits has become more difficult.
Sarah Merrick, the county’s commissioner of social services, told lawmakers Monday that changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, following the passage of H.R. 1 have created uncertainty for both residents and county workers.
“It really is creating ebbs and flows with our caseload,” Merrick said. “And it really is being a challenge to our staff because we have to, when at the national level people are determined it is not eligible, we’re the ones at the front line having to explain this to them. And it’s very, very confusing.”…