Last summer, I spent a total of 30 hours on hold or on the phone over the course of three weeks because my income was miscalculated when I finally reached a caseworker. I had to call again, and then again. I spoke with a different case worker each time and so each time we had to start the processing of paperwork and the calculations from scratch. By the time it was sorted out, the interview deadline had passed and the system automatically cut my benefits. This required a fourth call so I could go through the lengthy process to reinstate my benefits.
If this sounds punishing and like far too much paper pushing, it is. Still, the support SNAP provides keeps my kids fed and despite the hoops I have to jump through it is nothing compared to the bloated government bureaucracy that Trump has in mind for SNAP if congress approves the administration’s proposed budget cuts.
"The Bureaucracy of Feeding Your Family," Change Wire