U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Gleason is considering a case that’s calling for stricter oversight of Alaska’s health department after extreme delays in food stamp distribution left thousands of residents without aid for months, the Alaska Beacon reported Thursday.
In January of last year, ten plaintiffs sued the state, claiming the Department of Health (DOH) failed to process Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) applications and issue eligibility determinations within the time frames required by federal law. As a result, many Alaskans were left “without critical food assistance in the coldest months of the year,” according to court documents.
