NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — The state of Tennessee “persistently and systematically” fails its citizens who need food stamps, a new lawsuit against the state claims.
A group of Tennesseans and a local nonprofit newspaper have filed a lawsuit against the Tennessee Human Services (DHS) Commissioner, claiming the state fails to determine eligibility for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in violation of federal law. Additionally, the suit claims the state compounds the issue by preventing those deemed ineligible from having access to “timely hearings and appeal decisions.”
These issues, the suit claims, means Tennesseans routinely go hungry, “suffering from malnutrition, forgoing payment on bills and medications, having lower credit scores, getting evicted, and filing for bankruptcy.”
The plaintiffs in the suit hope to force the state to process its SNAP applications and appeals accurately and on time, as well as hold hearings for lost benefits and provide adequate notices to participants as required by federal law.
They ask a judge for declaratory judgment stating DHS violated federal law and the 14th Amendment to the Constitution by not providing timely notification of eligibility and by failing to provide fair opportunities for those denied eligibility to appeal. They also ask the judge to permanently force DHS to send notification of eligibility denial and allow for appeal, as well as create a “remedial plan” for correction.
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Specifically, they ask the court to force DHS to hold hearings for anyone who submits an appeal between 90 days and one year of the submission of the appeal.
