Published: July 30, 2008 11:17 pm            

Valley residents voice opinions on Indiana’s modified welfare system

TERRE HAUTE — A crowd of around 150 gathered Wednesday in Chauncey Rose Middle School to tell state officials about their experiences with Indiana’s modified welfare system.

Several people cried or became visibly upset telling elected and appointed state officials what they believe is wrong with recent changes in the way the state handles welfare renewals and applications.

“I just think this whole system is terrible,” said Yvette Setzer, 31, of Brazil, who spoke at the forum. Setzer, who has three young children and is a single mother, said her food stamps were cut under the new system. “I miss several meals,” she said. “I would love to get out and work … I can’t work and there is not enough food.”

Most of the complaints about the new welfare system had to do with trouble people said they are having getting their benefits approved using the state’s new telephone or computer intake systems. Several people told of being put on hold for long periods of time or having paperwork lost.

“I wouldn’t have a job if I kept losing paperwork like that,” said Myra Wilkey, executive director of Mental Health America of Vigo County, who was among about 40 people who spoke at the 21/2-hour forum. Many of her agency’s clients are unable to use the new telephone intake system, she said. Many have to wait for up to 45 minutes on hold before losing patience and hanging up.

“We have to start the process all over again,” Wilkey said. “They need to talk to [caseworkers] face to face,” she said.

Under Indiana’s former welfare intake system, welfare recipients met with case workers individually. The new system, being implemented gradually across the state, encourages welfare recipients to apply for benefits over the telephone or over the Internet. The new system uses a private company under a state contract to implement the intake process.

“I have been fighting the system,” said Teresa Walker, mother of Collin Walker, a 4-year-old boy allegedly fatally stabbed last year by his father, Katron. Walker said her surviving son, Monte, who was injured at the same time, has been without health insurance since December. On three occasions, Walker said she had to miss work waiting for telephone interviews scheduled with welfare workers. “These are three times I’ve had to miss work,” she said.

“Please make the changes and please help my son get the treatment that he needs,” Walker told the state officials at the meeting.

Samantha Carpenter of Terre Haute said she lost food stamp benefits for her two young sons under the new system. During the process of reapplying, she was told to fax a birth certificate to state officials, which she did, she said. “They said they never received the fax,” Carpenter said. Eventually she would send faxes seven times, Carpenter said. “I don’t have enough for food” because of poor communication, she said.

Kim Norris, 38, of Terre Haute also attended the forum. She also spoke of problems with lost paperwork under the new system causing her and her family to lose benefits, she said. Welfare officials told Norris they needed a three-question form completed before they could process her application, but then, “they never mailed it to me,” she said.

Welfare officials attended Wednesday’s forum and set up tables in a nearby room. People having trouble with the new system were encouraged to speak to welfare officials to seek help. After seeking help at the forum, Norris said welfare officials assured her that her family’s benefit’s would be reinstated today, but “we’ll see,” she said.

“I’m not here to play defense,” said Zach Main, deputy director of the Division of Family Resources for the Indiana FSSA, who attended the forum. The system has undergone significant change, he said. “We know they’ve been far from perfect,” he said. Main attended the forum to “hear what the issues are,” he said.

Wednesday’s forum was hosted by state representatives Vern Tincher, D-Riley, and Clyde Kersey, D-Terre Haute as well as by Glenn Cardwell, retired Vigo County welfare director. Also at the forum in the audience were Republican state representative candidates Bob Heaton and Ryan Cummins.

“Just a small portion of the people being affected [by the new system] are in this room,” said Jim Edwards, director of Ryves Hall in Terre Haute. Ryves Hall is among the voluntary organizations helping people apply for benefits under the new system. Yet the new system isn’t working, Edwards said, and “the children are the ones that are suffering.”

Arthur Foulkes can be reached at (812) 231-4232 or arthur.foulkes@tribstar.com.

        

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