The concerns for Alaskans receiving aid from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program have grown over the past year. The backlog of applications was a severe issue back in August of 2023. The issue seemed to diminished for a temporary period, but only began to grown when a second wave of backlogs came into fruition.
In December of 2023, food aid was delayed by more than a month for more than 12,000 Alaskans. The year ended with the number of applications being down to 10,074.
Now, at the start of 2024, the Division of Public Assistance (DPA) has announced that SNAP applications may now be filled out online. There is also a mobile friendly version of the application as well on the DPA website.
The previously application process was 28 pages long, which was initially an application for all Public Assistance Programs. On average, the paper versions of the application would take an hour to complete for a family of four with one income.
Due to the lengthy process, approximently on 40% of applications were considered to be “incomplete,” which resulted in them going into a “pending” status.
This severely put a delay on all pending applications until required documents were received and approved. By the time proper documents were received, many of the applications became expired.
The new online application however, is considered to be a “smart form.” This application only asks questions that relate to reach individual based off of their personal needs and circumstances,
The launch officially took place in Dec. 27th, and takes approximently 20 minutes to complete. Since the launch, the DPA has relied 260 applications.
“Alaskans are starting to feel the real benefit from the actions taken by the Governor last session through long-overdue funding to upgrade outdated technology,” said Department of Health Commissioner Heidi Hedberg. “We will continue to migrate our other workflows in a digital direction, enabling our staff to use more efficient systems and better support Alaskans.”
The form is optimized for both mobile and desktop devices. “Using the online form guides you through each step,” said Deb Etheridge, Director of Public Assistance. “All types of documents, like photos and scans can be uploaded from a phone or computer. This is an incredible step for us to leverage modern technology. Streamlining the process means more complete applications from the beginning. Less time that our staff spends touching the same application more than once increases efficiencies, and paperwork is not lost in the mail or delayed due to weather.”
It is important to note that all SNAP applications will be processed in the order of which they are received, unless an applicant qualifies for expedited services.
If you have perviously applied for SNAP benefits through a paper form, you are not required to reapply through the online application.
To learn more about the online SNAP application or to apply, go to https://dhss.alaska.gov/
