Isabella County branch accounts for 1,337 Michigan Bridge Card requests

The online application system for Michigan’s Bridge Card is marred by long waiting periods and an undermanned staff.

The Michigan Department of Human Services has received 20,076 online applications as of Oct. 13. Isabella County residents have accounted for 1,337 of the online applications statewide.

The Isabella County branch received 1,801 total applications in September and October, with online applications counting for nearly 75 percent of all applications.

“It’s had a huge demand statewide,” said Mark Stevens, Isabella County DHS director. “The problem is there’s been unprecedented demand due to the economic situation.”

Only 40 DHS workers statewide have been processing all the online applications, leading to waiting periods of more than a month.

“If you’ve got a lot more to do and the same amount of people to do it, things are going to take longer,” Stevens said. “There’s a lot of people waiting for benefits.”

After applying online, applicants must fax relevant information to the DHS, such as income, shelter expenses and bank account information. Then they will be contacted by the DHS for a phone interview.

Students not impressed

Fraser junior Ashley Murray’s application took more than a month to process.

Her application was originally sent to the Detroit branch instead of the Isabella County branch, leading to phone calls from both branches for the same information. She applied online because the DHS hours did not fit her schedule and she thought it would be easier.

“It was horrible. I had to keep verifying information,” she said. “We kept missing each other, missing a step.”

Murray applied for her Bridge Card when she moved back to Mount Pleasant in mid-August, and did not receive her card until the beginning of October.

Pontiac freshman Keith Kay met similar results.

Kay applied for his Bridge Card at the end of September and has yet to receive it.

“It seemed easier than waiting in line,” Kay said. “I haven’t even gotten a call from DHS. I haven’t heard anything.”

While 2 percent of all Bridge Card applications are for cash assistance, college students almost exclusively receive food assistance from the DHS, Stevens said.