Welfare rolls rise in March

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Friday, April 25, 2003 | 11 a.m.

SUN CAPITAL BUREAU

CARSON CITY -- The number of people receiving welfare increased slightly in March, but the enrollment in Medicaid continues to climb, the state Welfare Division reported Thursday.

There were 30,179 Nevadans receiving public assistance in March, an increase of 97 recipients or 0.32 percent compared to February.

But the state's Medicaid enrollment rose by 1.8 percent to 167,344 people, the largest total in the last year.

The Welfare Division said the number of people on the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program has fallen 14 percent since the post-9-11 high of 35,122 recipients in May 2002.

The new numbers fueled the controversy over the prior projections by the Welfare Division and Gov. Kenney Guinn that there will be 35,000 recipients next year and that will rise to 41,000 in fiscal 2005.

The division said the number of food stamp recipients declined by 788 to 106,575 in February.