Botched UHIP rollout causes holiday problems

By: Alana Cerrone

acerrone@abc6.com

PROVIDENCE, R.I. For people impacted by the botched rollout of the state’s new benefits’ system, the big backlog of applications is expected to get worse as the holidays approach.

This week The Department of Health and Human Services (DHS) got a letter from officials laying out a timeline for them to follow to get the UHIP system back on track.

But with more applications coming in, and DHS staff taking time off for the holidays, applications are expected to pile up even more; forcing families who rely on benefits to look elsewhere.

"People take time off, our staff takes time off […] so we expect that number will go up during the holiday period," said Secretary of Department of Health and Human Services, Elizabeth Roberts.

Federal Hill House employee Sharron Johnson normally helps give food, clothing, and basic needs to about five-hundred people a month, and since September, she’s seen more than seven hundred each month.

"It definitely went up…and it’s because they don’t have anything and they’re looking for help," said Sharron Johnson.

Johnson says many of the families haven’t been regularly receiving their benefits since the launch of UHIP.

"I have a mom that comes, I usually give diapers once a month and I’ve been giving diapers all month because she still hasn’t received benefits from DHS," said Johnson.

Despite a lawsuit against the State by the ACLU, as well as $19 million in federal funding going towards maintenance and operations of the state’s botched benefits system, there are still over two thousand backlogged SNAP applications.

State Officials say the next couple weeks will be challenging, especially with the open enrollment deadline coming up next week.

For the Federal Hill House, they exhaust their resources each month and rely on donations to meet the needs of their clients.

"Because they are flooding the food pantries and you can’t blame them for coming…and you can’t say no because people do need help," said Johnson.

©WLNE-TV / ABC6 2016