AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - A new state auditor's report says the food stamp program in Texas is inefficient and outdated and suffers from a growing number of inaccuracies.
The State Auditor's Office said inexperienced staff and inefficient office setups mean the program run by the Health and Human Services Commission has not been able to keep up with the increased number of applications spurred by the recession.
The auditor says 80 percent of food stamp applications are still kept as paper files. Applicants are often forced to wait in long lines for answers to basic questions and can't get answers over the phone or Internet.
The state report follows a warning to Texas by federal officials concerned last year about growing delays. Food stamps are primarily funded by federal money.
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