CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. — A Chesterfield County mother said she struggled to feed her family after her local social services department didn't process her food assistance application on time, rendering her ineligible to receive emergency benefits amid the federal government shutdown.
Jasmine Oliver, a part-time medical assistant and recent nursing school graduate, is part of the 1 in 8 low-income Americans who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to buy food. With five children, Oliver's monthly payments total about $1,100.
"It gets me and my children through day to day for the entire month where I don't have to worry about, 'How are they going to eat?'" she said.
But that worry is getting harder to ease.
When SNAP payments were halted by the government shutdown, Governor Glenn Youngkin launched a state-funded food assistance program, called VENA for short, to temporarily fill the gap. The plan was to provide Virginia SNAP recipients with weekly installments of 25% of their total SNAP benefits until the federal government reopened.
However, when VENA payments began going out last Monday, Oliver said the roughly $275 she should have received never hit her account.
“I thought... maybe they got delayed, maybe it'll be here Wednesday. And then Wednesday came and I still didn't have anything, and then that's when I got even more concerned, like, wait, something's wrong," Oliver said.
She said she then contacted the Chesterfield-Colonial Heights Department of Social Services (DSS) to inquire what went wrong and was told by a supervisor that DSS did not process her application in time.
“She just kind of told me that they were doing the best they could do. They were very overwhelmed, and they were so busy trying to process all these applicants that they are human too, and they make errors," Oliver said.
Here's what happened: Periodically, SNAP recipients must renew their eligibility with the program, which Oliver was due for in November. This renewal process typically includes an interview between a social services representative and the recipient as well as the recipient submitting documentation verifying information surrounding their circumstances.
Oliver showed CBS 6 a record of her phone interview with her case worker on Oct. 1 and confirmation from Chesterfield-Colonial Heights DSS that she submitted the required paperwork on Oct. 3.
In a statement to CBS 6, spokesperson for Chesterfield County J. Elias said he could not comment on Oliver's specific case but generally said that DSS has 30 days to process an application. However, Elias said when Governor Youngkin announced VENA in late October, it included a cutoff date of Oct. 29.
Citing a "high volume of applications and shortened timeline," Elias said DSS did not process all applications by the Oct. 29 deadline.
Recipients whose recertifications were not completed by Oct. 29, like in Oliver's case, were not eligible to receive VENA payments, according to Elias.
“I was very responsible to submit everything, probably even more than what they needed, and it was not my fault that they did not do what they were supposed to do at DSS, and I also feel like I'm voided, like I don't matter, because I was overlooked," Oliver said.
Oliver added the county's explanation did not satisfy her as eligibility recertifications happen routinely, regardless of the government shutdown, and her renewal applications have been processed in a matter of days in the past.
During the lapse in benefits, Oliver said she made do by visiting a food pantry and by asking her child's elementary school for help, which in turn provided a Walmart gift card.
She believes the financial and mental stress the situation caused could have been prevented.
“I’m just trying to hold it together the best I can, but it's very overwhelming," Oliver said. “It's really unfair to me."
“How does going through this process make you feel?” reporter Tyler Layne asked.
“I feel like I’ve been failed by the system," she said.
After our interview, Oliver said she was informed by Chesterfield-Colonial Heights DSS on Monday afternoon that her renewal application had now been processed. She expects to receive SNAP benefits when SNAP payments resume. Whether that means she'll receive full or partial November benefits is unclear.
Governor Youngkin announced Sunday evening that the VENA program would be paused as federal funding should become available so that Virginia can process partial payments no later than Thursday. CBS 6 has asked the Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) exactly when recipients can expect to see that money in their accounts, and we are still waiting to hear back.
CBS 6 also inquired with VDSS about Oliver's specific case and a spokesperson said it's possible her issue could be entirely resolved as guidance and benefit issuance are being updated; however, the department was "still working through the details."
Elias said the county "understands the impact" of people going without their benefits and is supporting hunger relief organizations during this time.
"In response, Chesterfield County, along with our regional partners, have contributed additional dollars to Feed More to help provide food assistance to the community. We encourage those who are experiencing food insecurity, to visit their local food bank for assistance," Elias said.
Click here for a guide to the food banks available in Central Virginia.
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
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