DALLAS (AP) _ Officials say the Texas food stamp program is digging out of trouble after it was swamped by hurricanes, a failed privatization effort and cuts to the work force that handles claims.
The most recent federal figures show Texas processed 69 percent of applications within the required 30 days in the year ending Sept. 30. That’s 15 percent below the national average.
The Dallas Morning News reports that hiring more workers and letting food banks interview applicants helped Texas cut its total of tardy, unprocessed applications to about 6,000 from a high of more than 42,000 in October.
Texas Health and Human Services Commissioner Tom Suehs says including food banks in the process can’t replace the need for more state funds and even more workers.