Jan. 1 – A federal judge ruled Tuesday that the state must take steps to address chronic delays in processing Alaskans’ applications for food assistance, after repeated application backlogs.
U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Gleason issued a preliminary injunction ordering the state to provide monthly status reports to the court detailing efforts to process applications for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program within 30 days as required by federal law .
The order stemmed from a lawsuit originally filed nearly two years ago by an Alaska civil rights firm, the Northern Justice Project.
The delays in general have affected thousands of Alaskans seeking assistance through SNAP. The federally funded program, commonly called food stamps, provides food benefits to low-income households.
As of November, there were more than 1,200 initial SNAP applications that had not been processed within the required 30 days, and according to information provided to the court, the average application processing time was more than 60 days.
State data filed in court shows that after crisis-level delays in processing food assistance applications that began in 2022, the state made improvements in processing times but then fell behind again after federal government concessions lapsed .
In 2023, the backlog peaked at 15,000 applications, prompting the state to provide more money to food banks and take steps to speed up application processing times, such as increasing the number of staffers working on the backlog.
Processing time improved in June 2024, when 89% of initial applications were processed on time. But the latest data provided to the court shows that processing times have decreased in recent months, with only 72% of initial requests submitted in October having been processed within the required timeframe.
Federal officials, recognizing the state’s backlog, earlier in 2024 waived the requirement that all applicants be interviewed before receiving benefits to speed up processing time. That waiver expired in October, causing the state to once again fall behind in processing applications.
In its defense, the state has argued that it is already making “significant efforts” to close its backlog, including by modernizing its technology. Division of Public Assistance Director Deb Etheridge told the court that a new online system, which will streamline applications, is expected to be fully operational by July 2025, after more than $54 million was allocated in 2023 to upgrade the Department’s online system Division of Public Assistance to be revised.
In addition, the Legislature approved a “broad categorical eligibility” reform that will expand food assistance eligibility and simplify the application process. However, the change must still be approved by federal officials who oversee SNAP programs, according to the court.
The Ministry of Health also attributed the backlog to ‘persistent staff shortages’. The department said in court filings that it had hired a consultant to design a “new staffing pattern” to address these shortages.
Gleason said these steps were not enough.
“While these efforts are commendable, there is no indication at this time that these efforts will successfully result in (the Department of Health) fully complying with processing deadlines,” she wrote.
Under her order, the state will be required to provide monthly reports beginning in February 2025 detailing the status of the backlog of applications and the department’s efforts to process applications within the required 30 days.
Ministry of Health spokesperson Shirley Sakaye, in response to questions about the court order, said the ministry had already seen an “incredible improvement” in the processing time of applications since the backlog peaked in 2022.
Sakaye listed several steps the division has taken to improve staff efficiency, including providing larger computer monitors and faster internet speeds for staff members. She also pointed out the department’s technological advancements. Until December 2023, SNAP applicants could not submit their applications online.
Sakaye did not say whether — or how — the department planned to comply with the reporting requirements imposed by the court. A Justice Department spokesperson did not immediately respond.
James Davis, an attorney with the Northern Justice Project, said the reporting requirement would add a layer of accountability to the state.
“Doing nothing for another three or four years while hundreds of families go hungry is simply not an acceptable status quo,” Davis said.
The order came days after an Anchorage Superior Court judge ruled that the state violated a separate requirement to process cash assistance applications from elderly or disabled low-income Alaskans. Both programs are administered by the Public Assistance Department.
