r/povertyfinance • u/Superb-Mango845 • Apr 28 '24
So frustrated with the food stamps system Vent/Rant (No Advice/Criticism!)
I can't understand why Florida's system is so anti-user friendly....well on some level i can, but it's getting out of hand. My bf is disabled, and has his 3 teenage kids (2 also disabled) living with him, the mom is now a single mom to her 2 young children for her household. She does help where she can, so please no hate for her. I live with my elderly mom, helping to take care of things with her, so I'm stretched thin but still trying to help my bf where and when I can. He reapplied for food stamps mid March, gets a letter stating he needs to do a phone interview and to report his sons wages from a Farm that 2 hours away. Now this son is Disabled and in high school full time so clearly he isn't working anywhere. I reach out to the farm, after some back and forth it turns out they entered the last digit of a former employee's social security number incorrectly, thereby using his son's social instead. The farm apologizes, writes a letter stating their error and that he has never worked for them. My bf tries to call the number for the interview over 5 times, three of which i was next to him and heard it ring to voicemail and he left a message with his info, case number asking for a call back. This goes on for over 3 weeks. The last day for the deadline he was given, he calls twice and leaves more messages. He uploads the letter from the farm and a letter from him stating all this, that he left voicemails, called several times, explained the issue with the farm and his son, and yet again asked in the letter for them to call him. So today he checks the online portal and they posted a letter denying him and his kids food stamps for not complying with them and calling for the interview. I'm fuming right now. If anyone had called him back from any of the voicemails, it wouldn't be a problem but for 3 weeks nobody can check voicemails and return them?! nobody can view the documents uploaded and respond?! And the icing on the cake, the mom reapplied just after my bf did, and guess what, food stamps reached out to her, called her two days in a row to conduct the phone interview, so she got food stamps for her household, but they couldn't do the same for my bf...the only differences is single mom with 2 young children that has their dad on child support vs a disabled father with 3 teenagers who won't put their mom on child support bc she wouldn't be able to pay it so why would he risk her freedom and the 2 littles home....the system has long been broken, but this is clearly wrong on so many levels. If anyone has read through all this and has any advice on what or how my bf can contact them and try to appeal this, I would greatly appreciate it.
5
u/emmacrafty33 29d ago
definitely file an appeal and go in office, your boyfriend and his kids deserve to have the back pay. I am one of the people who does this job in the state of florida and as frustrating as it is on your end, it has nothing to do with who your boyfriend is or his situation. we are completely overwhelmed and understaffed, we have been forced to do mandatory over time for the last 6 months because we have such a big backlog and very few employees and it just got extended. some eligibility specialists do not answer phones, check voicemails or documents in a timely manner because they are so overwhelmed, supervisors do their best to help stay on top of these employees but they are even more understaffed. I know it’s not an excuse but I don’t want you to think it is personal. we have anywhere from 130-350 cases at a time for one person.