State reports gains in supplying food stamps to residents faster

Five months into a court order requiring the state to speed up delivery of food stamps and medical benefits to low-income residents, Department of Human Resources officials say more Marylanders are getting those services at a quicker pace.

As of the end of May, the compliance rate for food stamps was about 89 percent, up 6 percentage points from the beginning of February, according to the DHR. The compliance rate for the Maryland Children's Health Insurance program was 85.7 percent, up 6 percentage points; and the rate for the Temporary Cash Assistance program was 93.8 percent, up about 5 percentage points since February.

DHR officials attribute the increases to the installation of an online intake system that makes processing those services up to 10 times faster.

In 2009, the state was sued by an Owings Mills woman who had to wait more than two months for Medicaid benefits for her two children. Her case was joined by a city woman and a coalition of advocates.

A judge ruled that the state had to come into full compliance by December 2010 with a law that requires emergency medical benefits and food stamps be received by all applicants within 30 days. Human Resources Secretary Brenda Donald said the department was making progress but still had a lot of work ahead.

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