Doggett: USDA investigating Texas' SNAP delays, backlog

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The US Department of Agriculture, which administers the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), is investigating lengthy delays for Texans needing assistance, according to Democratic Congressman Lloyd Doggett of Austin.

USDA officials came to Austin recently to meet with officials from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, which oversees SNAP, Doggett said. He will be briefed on the findings, and potential "corrective actions" next week, he told KXAN on Nov. 22.

"We'll be gathering for Thanksgiving with families, often for a Thanksgiving feast," said Doggett. "And, just keep in mind as you do that, that there's 60,000 Texans who have not gotten their applications properly processed to get food on the table."

Thousands of families in Texas are struggling to put any food on their tables. For more than a year, KXAN has investigated backlogs for Texans receiving federal food benefits through SNAP, which helps low-income households buy groceries.

'A responsibility to...those who may be lacking'

On Thanksgiving morning, Gov. Greg Abbott served up food with Meals on Wheels Central Texas to homebound seniors in Austin.

"We have a responsibility to make sure that we are giving back to those who may be lacking," Abbott said.

However, a series of whistleblower letters, say Texans who are lacking the most are waiting longer than ever for food assistance. The anonymous letters, sent to Abbott and others, claim to come from concerned Texas HHSC employees. They allege SNAP recipients are waiting more than six months and could be waiting longer than 200 days next month.

"In September, we brought to your attention that the delay had increased to over 100 days and expected to exceed 200 days by the end of December," a letter dated Nov. 21 said. "These things have happened just as we warned. The delay is currently over six months (more than 180 days) from when an individual applies to when their application is assigned to one of our staff to process. As we approach the holiday season, thousands of Texans are still waiting to receive the much-needed food assistance they applied for over six months ago. Governor Abbott and [HHSC Executive] Commissioner [Cecile] Young, how can you reasonably expect anyone in the situation we have placed our citizens in to have a happy Thanksgiving or a merry Christmas while they are contemplating how they will feed their families?"

In an interview at KXAN's offices on Wednesday, Doggett called the allegations credible and "extraordinarily troubling."

"There's no reason that poor Texans should have to struggle so much to get federal funded food on their table, particularly at this time of year," he said.

In September, 13 Democratic members of Congress from Texas, including Doggett, cited the whistleblower concerns in a letter urging the USDA to investigate Texas' handling of SNAP benefits.

"Federal law requires States to process SNAP applications and recertifications within 30 days, a requirement Texas has failed to meet since July 2021," the letter, dated Sept. 25, said. "We strongly urge you to immediate find Texas out of compliance with application processing time requirements and proceed directly to corrective action" procedures.

Among the potential "corrective actions" the USDA could take, Doggett said, is to withhold money from the state -- something he doesn't want to see happen.

"The way the program is set up now, you can withhold funds from the state in that area," said Doggett. "And that's the primary sanction."

"But isn't that hurting the people who need the help the most?," asked KXAN investigative reporter Matt Grant.

"It might," said Doggett. "You point to the very problem that applies in so many of these federal programs. That simply denying money for food might lead to more delays."

'HHSC is moving aggressively to reduce the backlog'

On Thanksgiving, KXAN asked Abbott about the USDA investigation and the long wait times reported by SNAP recipients.

"My office is working with the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to make sure that they fix any problem that is causing any delay whatsoever," said Abbott. "Because we want to make sure that the people who are eligible for SNAP are going to be getting the food that they deserve."

On Wednesday, his office said Texas HHSC is "moving aggressively to reduce the backlog" caused by "increased strain" on staff who had to re-determine eligibility for millions of Medicaid recipients, after a temporary rule protecting people from losing coverage during the pandemic ended this year.

The governor's office said, now, Texas HHSC is:

• Moving 250 staff from other projects to "focus on expediting" SNAP applications
• Sending 600 newer staff to Medicaid training, which will increase the capacity to process combined applications.

"The majority of backlogged SNAP applications are people who are applying for SNAP and another benefit program, such as Medicaid or TANF, which requires workers trained in both programs to process the application," said the governor's press secretary Andrew Mahaleris.

"HHSC expects these actions will cut the backlog in half by the end of December," he added.

Advocacy groups like Every Texan and local nonprofits, including Feeding Texas and Hill Country Ministries, say they are seeing an increased need for assistance this time of year, including longer wait times for families who rely on SNAP benefits.

"All I want is to see that the problems these whistleblowers courageously identified get resolved," said Doggett. "To not meet the needs of these poor people is outrageous."

KXAN reached out to the USDA and the whistleblowers on Wednesday but did not hear back. HHSC said on Wednesday it couldn't comment due to the Thanksgiving holiday.

"Due to the holidays, we will provide you a response next week," said Texas HHS deputy chief press officer José Andrés Araiza.