DENVER—Colorado is looking to private charities to help fix a computer system blamed for long waits for food stamps.
The state’s $166.4 million computer system meant to process applications has been plagued by complaints since its inception five years ago. Now, the state may ask private assistance groups to chip in to help fix it.
Colorado officials want the Colorado Benefits Management System improved within a year, The Denver Post reported Saturday. Several charitable groups have complained to Gov. Bill Ritter that they are swamped with requests for food assistance by people facing long waits for food stamps.
“The system isn’t working yet,” said Gretchen McComb, president of the Women’s Foundation of Colorado.
Joanne Lindsay, a Department of Health Care Policy and Financing spokeswoman, told the newspaper that the charities met with state officials Friday. Lindsay said the meeting “was not an ask for money,” though she acknowledged they talked with foundation chiefs about possibly donating to help speed repairs.
Jeff Hirota, a vice president at The Denver Foundation, attended Friday’s meeting. He said he wasn’t sure about giving the state any money, but he said the problem is great.
“We’re concerned about what we’re going to do right now while people are hungry,” he said. “We need to continue the conversation.”
The problem, charities and counties say, is the unwieldy computer system.
Last year, Colorado ranked 52nd in the nation and its territories for food-stamp application timeliness, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
In some counties—including Jefferson, Denver and Adams—between 20 percent and 40 percent of applicants waited longer than 30 days to get a food-stamp card this spring.
It takes up to 45 minutes to enter data into CBMS, county officials say. The state’s application for these help programs is 26 pages long, and people aren’t able to apply for help remotely.
State officials have promised to get a Web-based application system up and running by the first part of 2010.
Charity leaders said they were worried about “marketing” food stamps when there are existing applications backlogged in counties.
“My interest is to do whatever is necessary to get help to folks who need it,” Hirota said. “I think we need to work on a now solution and a long-term solution.”
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Information from: The Denver Post,
