From Deseret News archives:
Food-stamp rule change draws fire
On Aug. 1, the Department of Workforce Services approved a change in food-stamp eligibility requirements, stating adults who tried but could not find 80 hours of work in a month are now ineligible for the program. The change, according to Glenn Bailey, executive director of the Crossroads Urban Center, affected hundreds of Utah's homeless adults.
Bailey said the agency did not make the changes fairly or in accordance with Utah's administrative rulemaking statute, which allows the public specifically those negatively impacted to have input on such changes.
"The homeless do not have stable addresses or telephone numbers, and so they are forced to rely on temp agencies and day labor more than the general public," Bailey said in the letter. "The Department of Workforce Services should have been aware of this fact and known that these cuts would disproportionately impact the homeless."
Under the new rules, which eliminated any exceptions for the 80-hour-per-month work requirement, able-bodied adults working 79 hours or less each month cannot obtain food stamps.
"We will be glad to review whatever concerns are addressed to us," he said.
Murphy said it is not uncommon for citizens and organizations to have concerns that are addressed to the attorney general's office.
"We will see what we can do," he said.
Bailey said DWS officials claimed the new rule was exempt from rulemaking procedures because it is an interpretation of federal policy. Department officials were unavailable for comment Monday night.
E-mail: wleonard@desnews.com
Comments
- Kansas' Secret Santa gives away $ 1:24 a.m.
- 75 hostages seized in Phillippines 1:24 a.m.
- Gates: US to be Afghan partner 1:23 a.m.
- Al-Qaida claims credit for blasts 1:23 a.m.
- Utah Utes campus briefs 12:39 a.m.
- SUU campus briefs 12:37 a.m.
- Westminster campus briefs 12:35 a.m.
- Y.'s Bauman receives award 12:33 a.m.
- BYU campus briefs 12:30 a.m.
- Utah Jazz: Game at a glance 12:12 a.m.
- Hot Rod behind mic for Lakers
- Cougars use depth to beat ASU
- Max Hall wants to look ahead
- Panel passes BCS playoff bill
- Non-BCS schools not given fair shot
- Psychologist: Mitchell schizophrenic
- Crash landing next to I-15
- Palin signs books, chats with fans
- Snow brings big chill
- Jazz go up against 'the best'
- Letters: Global warming a lie
229 - TCU to play Boise in Fiesta Bowl
206 - BYU football: Bronco weighs in on Hall
184 - Cougars going back to Vegas
150 - Utah/BYU rivalry can be more civil
147 - Andersen apologizes for Jordan hoax
138 - Max Hall wants to look ahead
119 - Revive full food tax?
100 - Yet again, we learn BCS is a big joke
94 - Palin signs books, chats with fans
94
Love him or hate him, Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch knows how to get attention.
My wife Lisa and I would prefer never to argue. But that's not going to...
For the latest news in the health care debate and how it affects you...
Top 5 Players in minutes played: Utah 1 Fr, 2 Jr, 2 Sr Jr Carlon Brown...
Yep "self righteous" if the rest of us who don't rubber neck left, you would...
Thank you for keeping the team here for all of these years, and for always...
of misery, inconsistency, road games losses and of course, NO TITLE ! Long...
Glad to hear about Matt and the others who demonstrate you can play at a high...
I guess they forgot that God made clothes for Adam and Eve and that was...
and good luck.
There is an inherent problem in any rating system -- it takes into account...
Give Phillips some credit. He was 5/5 in field goals in the YBU game, and the...
Mr. Bender's kind of thinking doesn't even acknowledge that the world is...



You can be the first to comment on this story.