COLUMBUS — Franklin County residents calling for help with food assistance or health coverage are waiting far longer to reach a caseworker than they did a year ago, as new federal benefit rules pile more calls and paperwork onto the county system.
The average wait to speak with a Franklin County Job and Family Services caseworker has climbed to more than an hour, up from under 20 minutes before the federal changes began about a year ago, according to call center figures. Over the same stretch, the share of calls the agency answers has fallen from 79.9 percent to 64.4 percent.
Much of the pressure traces to the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, which has absorbed new requirements over the past year. Josh Goodwin, director of the Ohio Poverty Law Center, said recipients are calling in larger numbers because they need help understanding what changed and what they must do to keep their benefits — and that people who cannot get answers are left unsure how to protect coverage they are still eligible for.
County officials say the workload grew without the staff to match it. Agency Director Michelle Lindeboom said in an Oct. 1 interview that the SNAP changes have added administrative work the agency must absorb at current staffing levels.
In a statement on Oct. 15, a county spokesperson said employees are working at those current staffing levels while the agency reviews its procedures for ways to shorten phone waits. The spokesperson pointed to requirements under the federal law known as HR 1 as an added challenge, saying the agency is trying to serve residents with fewer resources.
Advocates warn the squeeze may not have peaked. Additional Medicaid requirements are scheduled to take effect in January, and Goodwin expects them to bring another wave of calls and paperwork. Without a substantial increase in trained staff, he expects conditions to get worse rather than better.
The delays carry real stakes for the households on hold. SNAP and Medicaid help families cover food and health costs, and a resident who cannot reach a worker may miss a deadline or misunderstand an eligibility rule. For now, county officials say the review of procedures continues, while residents keep calling — and waiting.