Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- A judge signed off on Monday on a proposed settlement in which the state agrees to meet federal deadlines for processing food stamp applications.

The Rhode Island affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union and the National Center for Law and Economic Justice sued the state Department of Human Services last summer for violating the deadlines and denying "desperately needed assitance to help [applicants] feed their families."

Under the agreement signed by U.S. District Court Judge William Smith, the state denies any liability but agrees to process applications within 30 days, and as few as 7 days for households eligible for expedited food stamps. As part of the agreement, the state must produce monthly statistical reports on applications and share them with the ACLU and the National Center through the end of next year.

To improve food stamp processing, the state used federal stimulus money to hire additional workers, open a Providence office on Saturdays and buy a new phone system

The settlement was announced earlier in October.

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 Tags  ACLU food stamps RI Department of Human Services

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