Struggling families all around our state have it tough. Due to the recent surge in applicants, San Diego County officials are working on making the federally-funded food stamp, or SNAP, application process easier.
According to the San Diego Union-Tribune:
The supervisors’ letter to their board colleagues notes that a “tidal wave of applicants” has struck the county in recent months because of the recession and rising unemployment.
San Diego County has been the lowest-enrolled major metropolitan area in the country for years, signing up less than one-third of residents eligible for food stamps, a national study shows…
…Critics say San Diego County makes it unnecessarily difficult to apply for and collect food stamps, in part because caseloads are so high and recipients are reluctant to subject themselves to home searches.
County officials say the home calls are needed to prevent fraud and are conducted only when caseworkers suspect that applicants have mischaracterized their eligibility.
Per this article, the county recently laid off 29 county employees in February. Of those laid off, 18 worked at the agency in charge of food stamps.