TESTIMONY
Gladys Little, Eligibility Specialist at SNAP, on Systematic Challenges Impacting Client Assistance
3:27:09
·
175 sec
Gladys Little details the systemic challenges within SNAP due to glitches in the Angie system, affecting timely client assistance.
- Gladys Little, an eligibility specialist at SNAP, testifies about the ongoing challenges caused by the Angie system's persistent glitches.
- Little discusses the impact of mandatory overtime, starting at 7 AM daily, and the procedure for reporting Angie system issues, which leads to a backlog of IT tickets.
- Clients suffer from delayed benefits, case closures, and the burden of reapplication, exacerbated by unresolved IT tickets.
- Despite attempts to address these issues, including coworkers forwarding IT tickets to supervisors, there has been no significant resolution to eliminate errors in the Angie system.
- Little remains hopeful for improvements that will ensure accurate and timely benefit delivery to vulnerable New Yorkers, noting a backlog of 21,000 cases as of March 8th.
Gladys Little
3:27:09
Good afternoon, Chia Aiella and members of the committee.
3:27:13
I am grateful for the opportunity to testify today.
3:27:18
I am Gladys Little, an eligibility specialist, and a member of Acme Local 1549 District Council 37 in New York.
3:27:27
I've worked in Snap for 12 years.
3:27:31
Unlike my colleagues who presented today, I did not testify in September.
3:27:36
However, I can report the challenges that have been described are real.
3:27:42
They persisted in my work since long before the September hearing.
3:27:46
Mandatory overtime is still happening.
3:27:49
On my daily schedule for work Monday through Friday.
3:27:52
I start overtime at 7 AM until 8:30 AM when the telephone calls began coming in.
3:28:00
I face constant Angie system glitches daily.
3:28:04
I'm required to enter each Angie problem in the system which issues IT tickets and cases throughout the day.
3:28:14
This inflict significant harm on our clients who do not receive benefits in a timely manner.
3:28:20
In fact, clients who do not receive benefits when the applications and recertification cases are in process, suffer the closure of their cases.
3:28:29
As a result, they are reapplying every day while the IT tickets on their former cases lie unprocessed.
3:28:36
During my interviews with these clients, their frustrations overwhelm the interview.
3:28:41
I can hardly ask the pertinent questions so the interview takes long.
3:28:46
I have not seen any drastic resolution with the Angie system issues, a resolution which would eliminate repeated errors and erroneous cases processed repeatedly.
3:28:58
Daily while I'm working on a case, I have to suspend the same case several times in order to properly process it.
3:29:05
I also have coworkers forwarding their IT ticket list to supervisors daily in attempt to get the IT issue resolved.
3:29:15
Despite these frustrations, I am always assuring clients that they will receive the food assistance they desperately need.
3:29:23
I tell them I remain hopeful.
3:29:25
I have seen very little change in HRA.
3:29:34
Assisting the adequate improvements that are necessary.
3:29:39
Also, Also, I have seen according to my Angie system, as of Friday, March 8th, there are still 21,000 case backlog.
3:29:51
These statistics change daily.
3:29:53
My hope is that HRA will properly address and fix the energy system soon so I can do my job to ensure accurate timely benefit delivery to the most vulnerable New Yorkers.
