Food News

Atlanta- Numerous families are struggling in Georgia and complaining about the delay of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Benefits (SNAP) benefits. USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service is in charge of the SNAP program and confirms that the state has thousands of pending renewals.

The Food and Nutrition Service officials had a meeting with the Georgia leaders to discuss the pending 67,000 SNAP renewals from April and May 2023. This is not the first time that the recipients have had to wait for the SNAP benefits.

According to the state data, 715,259 Georgia households rely on receiving SNAP benefits each month which in turn represents 1,417,262 Georgians.

The federal agency is doing efforts to fill the vacant positions and employ new technology but it’s hampered by the federal rules preventing the department from streamlining the process. Still, the senior leaders have urged the regulators to approve waivers which in turn will allow the department to process the SNAP renewals faster.

The Food and Nutrition Service noted that Georgia is streamlining the SNAP process and working out its way to clear cases faster. As such, there is no timeline to share with the families regarding when applications would be processed and benefits would be issued. The families can check their application status online by visiting the Georgia website. In addition to this, families are also encouraged to seek community resources and connect with their local food bank for those who have trouble securing food.