Fruit is displayed at an Anchorage grocery store. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)
The state government has again made headway in reducing the number of Alaskans waiting for food aid. But national data show the number of Alaskans who use the program has dropped 10% in the last year.
The latest data from the Division of Public Assistance shows that state staff have reduced the food stamp backlog to just under 5,800 cases, less than half what it was toward the end of last year. And officials say the existing backlog contributed to the decline in beneficiaries.
The roots of the backlog trace to 2022, when federal administrators said 15,000 Alaskans were waiting months for food aid. The current count is the lowest the waiting list for benefits has been in the state since last August, before the backlog leapt back up to more than 12,000 people at the end of the year.
Division Director Deb Etheridge said her staff are working hard to stay up to date on new applications as they log overtime hours to get Alaskans their benefits.