"Alaska food stamps"

The state got the backlog down to 6,000 people in August, but it has swollen to more than 12,000 since.

The backlog in the Division of Public Assistance has kept thousands of Alaskans waiting on food stamps and Medicaid, but it’s affecting other programs the division manages as well.

Gov. Dunleavy is poised to sign a bill that will put millions of dollars into a fast-tracked solution to fix the state’s months-long backlog. But advocates and insiders say the emergency funding doesn’t go far enough — and the biggest problems are going unaddressed.

The Alaska Senate voted 20-0 on Monday to approve the bill, which now goes to Dunleavy’s desk.

The bill passed 38-1, with only Rep. David Eastman, R-Wasilla, opposed.

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.

Even Alaskans who have now gotten their benefits say that the months they went without left them with debt and fears for the future.

About four dozen families have reached out to the school saying they were affected by the state’s backlog. 

A complaint filed Friday alleges some families have waited four months for nutrition assistance.

Juneau resident Deb Etheridge will replace O’Brien. She was previously Assistant Director of Southeast Alaska Independent Living.