BREAKOUT BOX:
Applications for food stamps by month to Jefferson County Human Services, 2009:
January – 1,004
February – 1,009
March – 1,099
April – 1,179
May – 946
By Jeff Francis, MILE HIGH NEWS
Amid unprecedented demand for food stamps, state officials have seen a trend that is reflected in Jefferson County – a significant dip in applications in May. Those officials are hesitant to attribute the trend to a recovering economy, however.
“There is some hope,” said Liz McDonough, spokeswoman for the Colorado Department of Human Services. “It’s only a one-month dip, and it’s hard to attribute it to anything with just one month. Our caseload is still up 33 percent over the last 18 months.”
Applications to the Colorado Department of Human Services fell from roughly 16,500 in April to 13,800 in May, representing the first drop in applications since December, and a break in the cycle of increased applications McDonough called “unprecedented.”
The trend was duplicated in Jefferson County, albeit not quite so dramatically. For the entire year monthly applications rose through April, peaking at 1,179. May saw a decrease, though, to 946.
However, Lynnae Flora, director of community assistance, was similarly hesitant to see the drop as evidence of an improving recession.
“There are so many factors, but we really don’t know why there’s the drop,” Flora said. “Our applications are still more than double what they were last year, so I can’t say that it means things have gotten better.”
Both Flora and McDonough said there is often a dip in applications in the early summer months, but said they were not aware why the trend occurs.
A larger concern for Flora and McDonough seemed to be the backlogs and overworked staff that have accompanied the unprecedented demand for services.
“For the most part, we’ve been able to keep up,” McDonough said, “but Colorado, along with every other state, is experiencing delays.”
Jefferson County Human Services is obligated to process the food stamp applications within 30 days, a timeframe they’ve had difficulty meeting for portions of the last year. However, Flora said the department is on an upward trend for dealing with the volume.
“In terms of our ability to be timely, it’s going up,” she said. “We’re definitely doing a better job getting these applications processed.”
Distributed by Colorado Capitol Reporters
