TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Arizona families relying on nutrition assistance are facing months-long delays after submitting required renewal applications to the Department of Economic Security, leaving some without food benefits for extended periods.
Patricia Lamb, a grandmother raising two grandchildren, submitted her renewal application in late October but says it's still being processed and she has yet to receive her benefits. The last time she received food assistance was just before Thanksgiving, money she used to buy groceries for the holiday.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: From $2.45 to Thanksgiving dinner
"I was expecting to have my food benefits because I received them in November only because the freeze on the government funding had gotten through," Lamb said.
MORE COVERAGE: What happens when $2.45 is all you have left?
When Lamb visited the DES office about two weeks ago to check on her application status, she says she received concerning news about the processing delays.
"The person at the front desk said, 'Oh, we're running about 120 days behind.' I'm like, holy cow, what are all these families doing?" Lamb said.
In late December, Governor Katie Hobbs approved $7.5 million to fund 15 temporary workers for claims and appeals, 100 temporary customer service contractors and overtime to address the backlog.
"In the meantime, these poor families are, you know, they're starving. It's very disheartening," Lamb said.
Without benefits since Thanksgiving, Lamb says she's depending on support from her nearby food bank and family to feed her grandchildren.
"Had it not been for those two [family members] and the food bank—yeah, these kids would have nothing to eat," Lamb said.
DES has not released data on how many renewal applications are backlogged. When I reached out to the office for answers, I was told the average processing time has increased. At this time, a complete SNAP renewal application takes 33 days to process.
With the money Governor Hobbs approved, DES states it is investing in front-line staff and temporary teams to help families in need.
For now, Lamb is not just planning meals for the week, but also her next trip to the DES office for an update on her application.
"The end of the month will be my 120 days. So, I guess that'll tell me if I don't get it the 6th of next month, it isn't going to happen," Lamb said.
Resources for food pantries, meal sites and emergency grocery services in Pima County are here.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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Jacqueline Aguilar is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9. Born and raised in Yuma, AZ., she is no stranger to the unforgiving Arizona heat. Now this U of A wildcat is excited to be back in Tucson and is looking forward to involving herself in the community. Share your story ideas with Jacqueline by emailing jacqueline.aguilar@kgun9.com or connecting on Facebook, Instagram or X.
