Pennsylvania's top welfare official says she's reconsidering the state's food-stamp asset test.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reported Wednesday that Public Welfare Secretary Beverly Mackereth told the paper's editorial board she is “rethinking” the 17-month-old test.
The test, implemented under Mackereth's predecessor, Gary Alexander, requires applicants to prove they don't have significant personal assets before they can qualify for food stamps. People younger than 60 cannot have more than $5,500 in assets.
Critics say the application process is so complicated that many deserving people cannot get benefits.
During the first year of the test, the newspaper says, 4,000 applicants were turned down for having too many financial resources, while 111,000 households were denied food stamps because they failed to provide proper documentation.
