Alaskan Families Waiting For Months To Get Food Stamps, Lawsuit Says
Lawsuit says Alaska Department of Health exposed thousands to hunger risk by not giving food aid SNAP Eligible Foods Reprinted From The ...
Lawsuit says Alaska Department of Health exposed thousands to hunger risk by not giving food aid
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| SNAP Eligible Foods |
Ten Alaskans are suing the state, saying it failed to provide food stamps within the time frames required by federal law. The complaint was filed Friday in Superior Court in Anchorage against Alaska Health Commissioner Heidi Hedberg. The lawsuit said that in her role as commissioner of a department that failed to provide needed services, Hedberg “has subjected thousands of Alaskans to ongoing hunger and continues to do so.”
Some families have waited four months to receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, also known as food stamps, the complaint alleged. In the absence of these benefits, people have sought other means to get food or make food last longer.
“We’ve got people who are relying on family members. We’ve got people who are relying on food pantries. We’ve got people who are eating less so they can feed their kids, trying to juggle their bills and decide whether they’re going to pay for their heat or their groceries,” said Saima Akhtar, senior attorney at the National Center for Law and Economic Justice, one of the firms representing the plaintiffs in this lawsuit.
“People are taking as many different avenues as they can to take care of their families and eat right now, and it shouldn’t be that hard,” Akhtar said.
