Jennelle Bennett started trying to renew her SNAP benefits in August for October. She didn’t receive them until this week.
PHOENIX — A Valley single mother spent much of October wading through a bureaucratic battle to renew her nutrition assistance benefits.
The benefits total about $400 a month for her and her two teenagers.
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“It’s two weeks we don’t have to go to a food bank and take away from people who are even less fortunate than me,” Jennelle Bennett said.
Bennett has been on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for two years after she became disabled.
She started her renewal in August as she has every six months.
“Towards the end of September, the automated system kept saying the same thing, that it was being processed as fast as possible, in fear of not having food stamps for October 1, I started calling,” Bennett said.
This time around, however, the Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES) asked for proof of child support. Information, Bennett says, hasn’t changed, and information DES has, as they oversee Arizona’s child support program.
“They’re asking for information they already have, but I’m giving it to them again,” Bennett said.
Again, she waited and then said she went in person to the DES office in Coolidge.
“I have been waiting for three weeks now to get ahold of an eligibility worker to process my application,” Bennett said.
Then after getting a call, she was told to call someone else.
On Monday, Bennett called DES several times, by the time 12News went to her home to speak with her, she was on her fifth call to DES, and told to call back the person who called her a few days earlier to have her application processed.
When she called them back, Bennett was told to call the line she had been calling into and waiting on for several hours.
As for why so much back and forth, data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows the number of Arizona households on SNAP has grown since at least October 2022 through the latest numbers in July 2024.
In July 2024, more than 460,000 Arizona households were on nutrition assistance benefits.
“Despite the underlying strength in Arizona’s economy, the number of current SNAP households reached record levels in July of 2024, and new applications have increased significantly. This level of client and applicant activity has stretched available staffing resources,” Tasya Peterson, Press Secretary for DES, said in part of an emailed statement in response to 12News’ request for an interview.
Ultimately, Bennett received her benefits after weeks of fighting for them the day after 12News got involved, and after she waited for hours Tuesday in person at the Coolidge DES office.
“Degrading, humiliating I shouldn’t have to fight for benefits that I am qualified for,” Bennett said.
DES’ full written statement to 12News’ request for an interview on including: Staffing, training and processing times says:
Thank you for reaching out. While we cannot provide case-specific information, we have sent the client’s details to our team for review and resolution.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a closely regulated federal program, and DES adheres to the guidance established by the USDA to determine eligibility. This includes taking employment, expenses, income, and household composition information provided by the applicant into consideration to determine eligibility and benefit amount.
Our Benefit Eligibility Specialists (BES), tasked with the responsibilities mentioned above, must undergo a comprehensive 20-week training program. We offer continuous coaching and development to enhance their skills and knowledge, and we consistently provide feedback to our team members when we recognize opportunities for improvement.
Despite the underlying strength in Arizona’s economy, the number of current SNAP households reached record levels in July of 2024, and new applications have increased significantly. This level of client and applicant activity has stretched available staffing resources.
MyFamilyBenefits is a free, easy-to-use online portal, for individuals receiving Nutrition and Cash Assistance to help manage their benefits. Once registered, Arizona families have a secure way to access case information and other resources. Participants can track the progress of their application and have access to multiple resources to help manage their benefits. DES uses all resources available to verify the information required. Individuals can help their applications be processed faster by providing verifications with their application.
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