Suffolk expects food stamp requests to rise

Suffolk County expects a surge in requests for food assistance now that an online process allows residents to apply for assistance on the Internet.

The increase from online applications comes as the county has seen a general rise in applications since the economy soured, said Gregory Blass, Suffolk County's commissioner of social services.

"We're projecting this to climb dramatically" because of the new electronic applications, Blass said. "Those who were reluctant or unable or unwilling to apply, a lot more will now do so by this medium."

Since the online application procedure began Oct. 27, the county has received more than 625 electronic applications for food stamps.

Overall, monthly food stamp applications have risen almost 6 percent since last year, but November saw a 26 percent increase in applications compared with the same month in 2009, according to the county.

Blass said the ability to apply online will make it easier and more convenient for people who newly qualify for food assistance to apply for the help. "A large segment of the population who are eligible are reluctant to apply because they think there's a stigma to food stamps," he said.

Blass said his department is searching for ways to deal with the continuing increase in applications - which he expects to eventually reach 150 a day. "It's becoming more and more complicated to manage the caseload and to manage the spiraling increase in applications," he said.

Nassau County has accepted electronic applications since November 2009 under the state's staggered statewide rollout of the program.

Department of Social Services spokeswoman Karen Garber said Nassau County has received 400 to 450 electronic applications per month since the program began. That's in addition to roughly 1,700 other monthly applications for food assistance.

Garber said the new application process has "put a great strain on the program." The county hired 17 more people and reorganized other parts of the department in order to handle the influx of applications.

New census data released earlier this month showed the number of people who used food stamps in the past 12 months in Suffolk County to be 13,299. In Nassau, 11,718 county residents used food stamps in the past year, according to the American Community Survey data.