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Social services reports SNAP caseload steady; state now requires expense verification
Summary
Caroline County Department of Social Services reported FY25 SNAP activity: 1,397 applications processed, an average monthly caseload of 2,121 cases covering 4,226 people, and $8,744,471 in benefits issued. Staff warned the state now requires verification of household expenses for eligibility determinations.
Wendy Snead, director of Caroline County Department of Social Services, presented an update on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), outlining application and benefit volumes and a new state verification requirement.
"SNAP is the supplemental nutrition assistance program. These are benefits that can be used like cash to buy eligible food items from authorized real retailers," Snead said, and she walked the board through monthly caseload and benefit totals for fiscal year 2025.
Snead reported the department processed 1,397 SNAP applications in FY25. The county’s average monthly SNAP caseload is 2,121 cases, representing an average of 4,226 individuals. In FY25 the department issued $8,744,471 in SNAP benefits to Caroline County households.
Snead told the board of a new state requirement: county workers must now verify household expenses when applicants apply or renew benefits. Since the pandemic, the department often took client statements about expenses; Snead said that practice is no longer permitted and that the department will help clients obtain required documentation. She cautioned that some families may lack a few hundred dollars needed for a licensed consultant certification that the state sometimes requires to document a failing septic system or other expense-based verification, and that GWRC is seeking extra funding to cover those costs for low-income applicants.
Board members asked about the potential fiscal impact of anticipated federal SNAP funding changes and about the state’s error-rate requirements. Snead said the state’s current positive-error rate is 11% overall and must fall below 6% for higher federal reimbursements; she said Caroline’s local positive-error rate is 0 and that staff have received additional training and case reviews to maintain accuracy. Snead said the state department had not yet operationalized the federal budget impacts down to local dollar figures, and she agreed to research local fiscal implications.
Snead also reminded residents how to screen and apply for SNAP benefits: through commonhelp.gov, by phone at (833) 522-5582, or in-person at the county department of social services.
Ending
Snead said she will provide follow-up information on the fiscal implications of potential federal SNAP funding changes and that the department would help residents navigate the new expense-verification process.
