SHELBY COUNTY, Tenn. —
Troubles are continuing for many who rely on food stamps in Memphis.
Long wait times, lack of communication and empty promises are common for the thousands that benefit from the program in the Mid-South, even as others see their problems fast-tracked.
“I've never been to the store and checked out to find out there's nothing on my card. There was nothing there,” said Shiela Moore. Moore has been disabled for fourteen years and had successfully relied on food stamps until November.
Suddenly, she found her benefits gone, and DHS nowhere to be found. She’s still waiting for a resolution, and in the meantime relied on donations from Good Samaritans to put food on the table.
“The message that I got said that I missed a call. I’ve never missed a call. This is my livelihood. I'm disabled, and part of my food is my allotment for how I eat every month. So if I don't take care of that, I don't eat,” she said.
Moore’s not alone. She said there are dozens of people at Northlake Apartments dealing with the same issues, including a total lack of communication at DHS and a denial of food stamps they’re eligible for.
“I'm in a power wheelchair. There's some people that can't walk. There's some that are not able to get out of bed. That's some that are a little bit disoriented. They can't speak for themselves. So I want to be the voice of reason,” Moore said.
Lawmakers have blamed the holdup on a software change that has recently been resolved. State Sen. Raumesh Akbari admitted this week low staffing is also to blame.
“They're working with a third party to help with that. They're working with their human resources teams, ways to incentivize people to take these jobs and incentivize them to stay.” Akbari said.