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Food stamps delayed 18 days for Richmond woman with 2 kids

Posted at 5:57 PM, Sep 18, 2017
and last updated 2017-09-18 18:28:57-04

RICHMOND, Va. -- A bag of DVDs may be a last resort for Laisha Davis.

"I was going to the shop that buys DVDs, and sell them,” Davis said. “I might could get $5 dollars or something.”

Davis and her two elementary age sons need food.

They rely on food stamps paid out on the first of the month, however, 18 days have passed, and the credit still has not arrived in her account.

"It's showing that I got zero balance in stamps this month," Davis said.

Davis contacted the CBS6 Problem Solvers for help after she said she reported the problem to her caseworker last week, but she still has no food stamps.

"I just want to know what is going on,” she said. “Can they give me some emergency something?"

CBS 6 Problem Solver Investigator Melissa Hipolit went with Davis to Richmond Social Services to try to get her some help.

Employees told Davis the problem lies with the Virginia Department of Social Services and their case management system.

They said they will try to work around to get her the money ASAP.

"I feel a little better," Davis said.

The city told us that when something like this happens, case workers tell folks to go to Feed More or another food pantry to get emergency food, but Davis said transportation is difficult.

A spokesperson for the Virginia DSS admitted there was a technical issue with the Virginia Case Management System that impacted Davis, but it was not system-wide.

She said the state has been working through the issue and hoped to have it resolved by 6 p.m. Monday.

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