Emergency funding OK’d for welfare office

Thursday, April 11, 2002 | 9:56 a.m.

SUN CAPITAL BUREAU

CARSON CITY -- The Legislative Interim Finance Committee Wednesday allocated $496,343 from its emergency fund to hire 67 new workers for the state Welfare Division, which has been overrun with new applications.

State Welfare Administrator Nancy Ford told the committee that the workers can't manage the caseload that has risen since Sept. 11.

Assembly Speaker Richard Perkins, D-Henderson, said he visited the Henderson office of the welfare division and added "Relief is needed here."

In addition to the 67 workers, Ford will be able to use another 17 workers which were authorized for an enhanced children and mothers program that has been put on hold because of budget constraints.

Welfare workers told the committee there are delays and errors in processing the applications and the division is not serving the clients properly.

Ford said when and if the numbers of welfare recipients decline, these new positions will be abolished through attrition. Most of the new workers will be based in Southern Nevada, she said.

Since March 2001, the number of those receiving welfare has increased from 18,962 to 34,148; Medicaid recipients has jumped from 123,558 to 150,002 and those on food stamps has risen from 71,770 to 96,810.