{"id":8909,"date":"2016-06-03T07:51:46","date_gmt":"2016-06-03T14:51:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newmexicopbs.org\/productions\/newmexicoinfocus\/?p=8909"},"modified":"2020-06-02T09:58:47","modified_gmt":"2020-06-02T16:58:47","slug":"the-line-update-on-food-benefits-court-case","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newmexicopbs.org\/productions\/newmexicoinfocus\/the-line-update-on-food-benefits-court-case\/","title":{"rendered":"The Line: Update On Food Benefits Court Case"},"content":{"rendered":"

June 3, 2016 – NM Political Report<\/a>\u00a0published a\u00a0story this week on the legal team<\/a> brought in to represent high level officials from the\u00a0New Mexico Human Services Department in a federal case that includes allegations officials falsified food benefit applications in order to deny people emergency assistance.<\/p>\n

The New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty<\/a>\u00a0filed the court case on behalf of clients who were denied emergency assistance. A group of former and current workers in the Income Support Division allege they were told to falsify applications and add additional income. To qualify for emergency assistance, individuals must have less than 100 dollars in income and 150 dollars in assets.<\/p>\n

The Line\u00a0opinion\u00a0<\/em>panel discussed the case last month: Allegations Against HSD Officials<\/a><\/p>\n

In the most recent hearings,\u00a0one employee\u00a0testified that the practice of falsifying applications goes back to at least 2003 ,\u00a0but she\u00a0alleged it has increased in more recent years. \u00a0Read more at the NM Political Report:\u00a0New allegations say food benefits falsification escalated in recent years<\/a><\/p>\n

This week, host Gene Grant leads a discussion on the latest news about the case and what the public still doesn’t know.<\/p>\n