Here are a couple of e-mail responses to the request for suggestions on how to improve the Food Stamp accuracy rate.
E-mail #1
Hello Director Lombardo-
I think your letter was appropriate and correct. As an Eligibility Tech. III in the Coastal unit I have had the opportunity to review several of our Elig. Tech's cases.
Dear Staff,
The recent letter from USDA highlights the food stamp accuracy crisis that has been developing in the last few years. Upon my appointment as your Director, I immediately assessed the threat to our funding from this impending crisis. I informed our management at my first statewide managers meeting that we must turn the tide on food stamp errors, before our agency funding was put at risk. DPA cannot afford to absorb the one million dollar penalty that is projected to occur at the end of fiscal year '04, if we cannot substantially improve our food stamp error rate.
Recently, DPA received a letter from USDA region X Director Dennis Stewart telling us that we have the worst food stamp accuracy in the nation. We are using this opportunity to kick off a campaign to bring our accuracy in line with the national norm by 2005.
On August 14th from 1:30-3pm we will be convening the DPA Leadership Workgroup to address this issue. This group is comprised of staff from all levels of our organization and we will be seeking their thoughts and opinions as to how we can improve our error rate.
Mary Lorence of Juneau began her new position this month in Anchorage and has more than 19 years of experience in delivering services to children and their families. "We
Anchorage, Alaska, July 24 - Some 7,000 elderly Alaskans have already applied for help from a new state program. The Senior Assistance Program will pay seniors $120 a month for 10 months.
With the current number of applicants, the program will cost the state $8.4 million.