Indiana Agrees to Court Order Speeding Provision of Food Stamp Benefits
On April 7, 2009, NCLEJ filed Tiffany Bell, et al. v. Anne W. Murphy, et al., a class action challenging Indiana's failure to timely process foodt stamp applications. The case was filed in federal district court in South Bend, Indiana. Co-counsel with NCLEJ are Bryan Cave LLP (Chicago and St. Louis offices) and Friedman & Associates (LaPorte, IN). The Court certified a class of food stamp applicants and a sub-class of applicants eligible for expedited processing.
Hungry Hoosiers should get their food stamps faster as the state implements an agreed-upon preliminary injunction approved by the district court on October 19, 2009. Under the injunction, the state is required to improve its compliance with federal time frames, provide monitoring data to demonstrate the extent of its compliance, and create a mechanism for certain applicants to have individual problems resolved.
For further information, please contact Tedde Tasheff (tasheff at nclej.org), Gina Mannix (mannix at nclej.org) or Marc Cohan (cohan at nclej) at NCLEJ, 212.633.6967.