Newsroom

DSS Computer Error Causes Early Issuance of Food Stamps for June

May 29, 2009

The Louisiana Department of Children & Family Services today announced that all 282,748 regular Food Stamp recipients inadvertently received their June benefits days early and should take the appropriate steps to budget accordingly to ensure those benefits last until July.

The payments were made early due to a computer programming error, and DSS is calling all Food Stamp recipients to inform them of the error.

“The computer error caused the benefits for all Food Stamp recipients to be issued on the same day rather than in batches over the course of the first two weeks of the month,” said DSS Secretary Kristy Nichols.  “We are working to make sure that this error is corrected so that Food Stamp distribution will not be disrupted again in the future.”

Nichols said that the error did not affect the amount of benefits customers received.  Households did not receive any more or less than they normally would receive for the month of June.  Recipients do not need to take any additional steps other than to budget their benefits so that they will last until July. For those cases scheduled to close at the end of May that were issued June benefits, DSS has begun to take steps to recoup those funds.

According to DSS, the error has nothing to do with the start of hurricane season nor is it related to Disaster Food Stamps in any way.

Normally, regular Food Stamp benefits are loaded automatically onto electronic benefit transfer cards within the first 14 days of the month.  Benefits are reissued to customers every month on the same date.

-30-