Welfare up 24% in Ocean County

The Number of requests for social services, including welfare, food stamps, temporary assistance and Medicaid has jumped by 24 percent in Ocean County during the current economic downturn.

“This is an unprecedented increase,” said Freeholder Deputy Director Gerry P. Little. “Even during the recession years of the 1970s and 1980s we didn’t see numbers of this magnitude.”

According to statistics from the Ocean County Board of Social Services, the number of caseloads for general assistance jumped by 28 percent, from 1,424 as of June 30, 2008 to 1,821 as of June 30, 2009.

Food Stamp caseloads increased by 27 percent, to 24,689, and Medicaid caseloads jumped by 19 percent, from 16,530 to 19,722.

Temporary assistance caseloads increased 26 percent, from 1,821 as of June 2008 to 2,293 a year later.

“These are staggering numbers,” said Little, who is liaison to the Ocean County Board of Social Services. “The economy is still bad and people are really hurting.”

Taken together, the increase in all caseloads equals more than $500 million in additional benefits now being paid.

“I really want to commend our Social Services staff,” Little said. “They have done an excellent job in meeting the needs of our Ocean County residents.

With the state’s unemployment rate hovering at 9.2 percent, more and more people are finding themselves out of work for the first time, he said.

To meet the increased demand, the board’s offices, at 1027 Hooper Avenue, Building Three in Toms River, are also open to 6 p.m. every Tuesday.

“We want to make sure that we can assist as many residents as we possible can,” Little said