Clarence Carter, commissioner of the Department of Human Services, addressing a Tennessee Senate panel on Jan. 24, 2024. (Photo: John Partipilo)
Leaders of the Tennessee Department of Human Services told lawmakers on Wednesday that it could take another two more months before the state’s SNAP program is running smoothly again.
An overhaul of agency software last summer has led to lengthy backlogs in processing requests for the federally-funded Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
The program has been beset by glitches, lengthy phone and in-office wait times — advocates have called it “chaos” — that have prevented tens of thousands of Tennessee families from accessing the critical food aid, commonly referred to as “food stamps.”
Some families have been cut off for months at a time without notice despite no change in the circumstances that qualify them for the benefit. SNAP is issued in the form of a debit card loaded monthly with funds that may only be used to purchase food. Most SNAP recipients are children.