The Alaska Senate voted 20-0 on Monday to approve the bill, which now goes to Dunleavy’s desk.
"Alaska Division of Public Assistance"
Alaska’s unprecedented food stamp backlog is taking a harsh toll on rural communities
In rural Alaska, where food costs can be astronomical and food banks or pantries are rare, residents are experiencing particularly dire consequences from the unprecedented backlog, advocates say.
Gov. Dunleavy adds $9M to budget to address food stamp, Medicaid backlog
The money will be spent on hiring contract workers to help state employees get through the backlog so they are prepared for upcoming Medicaid recertifications.
At Juneau rally, state workers call for more resources to fix food stamp backlog
The state has blamed the backlog on aging technology and a cyber attack in May of 2021, but employees say chronic understaffing is the cause. The union has also filed a grievance over the division hiring contract workers to help.
Thousands of Alaskans are still waiting for food stamps as state scrambles for solutions
Even Alaskans who have now gotten their benefits say that the months they went without left them with debt and fears for the future.
State Public Assistance director is no longer in her post following news of months-long waits for food stamps
Juneau resident Deb Etheridge will replace O’Brien. She was previously Assistant Director of Southeast Alaska Independent Living.
State workers say chronic understaffing caused food stamp backlog
“It’s a revolving door,” one worker said. “We’re dropping like flies. They’re not investing in retaining employees.”
As state COVID emergency ends, tens of thousands of Alaskans will see reduced food stamp benefits
All told, some 97,000 Alaskans, among 56,000 households, were receiving SNAP benefits in April and are set to lose some amount of benefits come September.
In Alaska’s largest school districts, families are still waiting for last year’s food assistance
According to the Food Bank of Alaska, just 28 school districts in the state have received Pandemic-Electronic Bank Transfer funds for the 2020-2021 school year.
Here’s what Alaskans who are out of work can do now, and more help that’s on the way
Not everyone who has been affected by the coronavirus is covered. One glaring loophole in the state legislation is that it doesn’t cover people who are self-employed or contract work, such as hair and nail salon workers, unless they’re specially set up to pay unemployment taxes.