Blog, I

Total Time For Recertification: 22 Days. Expected: 10-15.

Reasons For Delays This Cycle

Website portal failed to provide information pertaining to case status. Page where this information should be displayed failing to parse database at all. Tested this in both Firefox and MSIE.

Worker ‘On Vacation’, coworker did not pick up caseloads.

Worker failed to use email on file at time of recertification on web portal to communicate needs.

Worker failed to use telephone number provided at time of web portal recertification to inform consumer of needed documentation.

Worker failed to impress ability to handle case without regular intervention by consumer to handle case within standard timeframe of 10-15 days as stated on web portal.

Worker unfamiliar with documentation requirements of clients.

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This information and data are provided for those having an interest in identifying trends and patterns creating barriers to families having had or currently experiencing homelessness. Feel free to contact me or visit my project Homeless In Jax.

Wife had telephonic contact with same worker involving last post. Now she is informed that it’s not necessary to provide the ‘Federally required’ picture IDs, with having on file copies of our children’s report cards she took down just yesterday.

This contradicts what was said prior. Is there in fact a Federal requirement of picture identification; with an alternative of school report cards; or is it a matter of multiple choices given to begin with and this worker simply wanting to say what he wanted?

This alternative is exactly what I was getting at in terms of my prior post/rant of using school information to confirm children’s ‘authenticity’…and it’s the same problems many parents experience homelessness face constantly:

Caseworkers and government employees not providing accurate information due to either ineptitude, ignorance, or choice.

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Feel free to eMail or visit my project Homeless In Jax. If there’s enough interest to jointly approach Florida Government officials showing that this is a trend, I’m willing to coordinate the effort on that site. Only participants will be provided information of it’s status until public delivery, to protect the interests and privacy of interested and affected parties.

WTF? This was told to my wife by the recertification worker; who just happened to come back from leave; this afternoon.

Before the medicaid section of our recertification for both Food Stamps and Medicaid coverage can be processed, he must receive picture identification of all family members, including children.

My wife took the information, but didn’t think to ask specifically what the minimum age requirement was. She was told that this was a new change required by Federal decision. This is on top of copies of all birth certificates they have on file, since they received copies…that they received years ago…again, and again…when we both applied and recertified numerous times.

This is getting assanine. Rather than argue with someone claiming to be a supervisor, I’m going to try and put some things together and work it from the top down in the food chain. NOTHING has been sent out or communicated to clients or applicants of this, let alone the fact why people have to constantly send documents that were filed to open these cases…and recertify…and recertify.

It’s a waste of taxpayer money, it’s poor business administration, and at the least there’s the question of how personal identifying documents are handled. The Florida Government must have established regulations on how long hard copies must be retained, as well as how removed and destroyed…as well as what time frame the initial information identifying that they received a true and correct copy is good in the computer system.

I mean…a person applies for Food Stamps…they give a birth certificate…they recertify…the same person…why ask for the same multiple pieces of paper over and over again, when it’s the same family, with the same children, and the children are in schools that are required to have conferences with parents.

All they need to do is confirm with the children’s school…when they confirm the parents are having contact regularly with the school as required…due to the school requiring this all to have the child in school.

Yes, it can be rationalized out that it be done, but the point is there are many families that CANNOT go through these hoops in the allotted time frames in time of cutoff dates, ESPECIALLY when calls are not taken by workers claiming later they were on vacation.

Honestly, 50% of the recertifications we’ve gone through have resulted in this same excuse! Leave of absence or training…for a week!

I’ll close this for now while I’m venting, and come up with something in draft to put to higher ups. Even though it was a setback in our budget, we were able to work through it without anything ‘falling out’ in regards to bills not being paid.

That…isn’t the case though with many families. Given a choice between feeding children, electric or phone…you know which will be the most important. The reality is if electricity gets cut off, many families are threatened they can have their children taken by Child Protective Services, and have been known to ‘bug out’ of homes.

Sad, but true.

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Feel free to eMail or visit my project Homeless In Jax.

When recertifying for food stamps, many people that have changed jobs are required to submit a form to prior employers. But what happens when the employer was a jerk that caused you to seek opportunity elsewhere? Rather than lose your benefits, there’s something else you can do that’s acceptable by Florida Authorities.

I’ve got this particular problem with someone I worked with last year. I’ve gotten to the point having legal counsel over problems with them constantly. Luckily, there’s a way to keep this employer out of my Food Stamp business.

The Food Stamp worker offered me the option of getting a person who doesn’t live in the home to provide a letter stating I’d left the employer, where I work at present, and dates applicable. This can be anyone who agrees to it, whether it’s a neighbor you feel comfortable with, family counselor, or any outreach case manager from any of the available services in town.

If there’s any question you’d have a problem, consider this rather than possibly losing much needed benefits that are due you. While funds are retroactive from the date of application, if the case is closed you won’t get those funds if you have to reapply from the start again.

That can add up to over $1000.00 for some families. Don’t miss out due to people that have done it to you before.

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Feel free to eMail. This isn’t legal advice. It’s what I did in this situation. It’s what I’d hope someone I care about would know. Nothing more. For further questions, contact your local food stamp office.

Florida recipients of Food Stamps are required to provide updated information during ‘recertification’ periods, usually every six months.

After being informed our family needed to recertify this month, we were informed the state required copies of this information. Originally we were told last year that we’d have to provide this information THIS month. Turns out the caseworker at the time was wrong. Our benefits are on hold, due to the information being required updated LAST MONTH.

The state requires individuals to have on file copies of birth certificates, social security cards, and other forms of identification. A ‘hard copy’ file is maintained…somewhere.

Where…are the ones that were on file that originally were required for us to have initially and regularly been receiving benefits until this point? Did this office ‘lose’ them from our file? How do we know our information is safe and secure, when they can’t tell us where; and how; our private and confidential information is kept at?

Personally, it’s time someone start accounting for how they account for private and confidential information in these offices. Further entries with this label will be used in logging contacts and outcomes over this problem.