UPDATE: Gov. Gina Raimondo has appointed Tom Guthlein Acting Associate Director of Program Operations at DHS to oversee the customer service team. Director Melba Depeña-Affigne’s role has not changed.
Health and human service officials will hire 35 additional staff members to help process applications for food stamps and other benefits. It’s the latest action Gov. Gina Raimondo has taken to respond to problems with a new online benefits system
UHIP is Rhode Island’s new integrated benefits system – the one-stop-shop for applying for assistance like Medicaid, food stamps, and more. Since its launch in September the system has been plagued by problems. Some Rhode Islanders have received benefits. But thousands have had to wait in long lines or been inadvertently cut off.
Raimondo ordered the contractor responsible for the new system to provide additional staff. She asked for extended office hours at Department of Human Services field locations. And now she’s calling for an additional 35 temporary staffers to help process applications, and even more office hours at additional field offices. That’s after dozens of lay-offs at the agency. But now Raimondo says that may have been premature.
“We underestimated how much people power we would need with the new technology. And I think it also shows that the team probably made a mistake in not doing this sooner.”
Health and Human Services officials have also been asked to update a joint legislative committee with weekly reports on their progress fixing the system.
