Georgia SNAP: Pending Renewals Could See Benefits Soon

ATLANTA, GA — SNAP recipients who have been experiencing delays in receiving their benefits could see them this week, according to the Department of Human Services.

It applies to recipients with an open case who have pending renewals between August-October. According to human services, those renewal dates have been extended for no more than six months in accordance with a waiver granted by the federal government.

That means customers who have an August renewal will have it moved to February and they will still receive benefits, Kylie Winton, the communications director for the department, told Patch.

Recipients of Georgia aid must renew their applications for assistance at least once a year.

Furthermore, human services officials said work was performed on the Georgia Gateway portal to update and "to trigger benefits for these customers before the Thanksgiving holiday." Georgia Gateway is an online program where people can see their government aid status.

Winton said the department is working as quickly as possible to process renewals.

"Everyone who has returned their renewal packet will receive benefits for prior months between August-October," she said. "If a customer’s case was closed in September because they didn’t submit their renewal packet, they will not be covered."

Winton said human services is told by the Georgia Gateway vendor, Deloitte, that the company is "working on a technology solution where they project customers will be caught up by the holiday."

This only affects SNAP recipients who have pending renewals and who have completed their paperwork.

According to media reports, families have been struggling to get their SNAP benefits in recent weeks. Some families have reported being approved but have not received their benefits.

"Due to inflation and workforce shortages, we are working through increased volume for SNAP applications and renewals. We continue to explore ways to secure more flexibility from the federal government to process cases more quickly and efficiently. At the state level, we will also offer overtime for staff," read a statement from Human Services.

There is no exact date for when recipients with renewals in August-October will receive their benefits, Winton said.

"We continue to process cases, and all customers should still return their renewal packets, requested information and any verification checklists the department asks for, especially if they have not done so and if they are up for renewal in November," Winton said.