PHOENIX — Arizona's Ombudsman Citizens’ Aide Office is on track to break records this year as residents increasingly seek help resolving issues with state agencies, particularly the Department of Economic Security.
Joanne MacDonnell, Arizona's Ombudsman-Citizens' Aide, said her office handled around 9,300 cases last year and expects to exceed 10,000 this year, up from roughly 6,000 at the end of FY2023.
"There's a huge uptick going on, and it's knocking us on our backside, so it's got to be doing the same over at Department of Economic Security," MacDonnell said.
The surge stems partly from better public awareness that the ombudsman exists. The citizen's aid link now appears on every state website.
A significant driver of recent complaints has been a wave of Department of Economic Security-related issues.
In just the past six months, her office received more contacts about DES than during the entire previous fiscal year, primarily involving nutrition assistance, medical benefits and unemployment insurance.
Eric Wilson is among those still waiting for a resolution. He said he's still waiting for the first few months of his approved unemployment benefits.
"Payments never came, and I'm lucky that I have savings. Otherwise, I'd be in a lot of trouble," Wilson said.
In December, ABC15 Investigators looked into a backlog of SNAP applications at DES. The agency attributed delays partly to staffing cuts after decreased federal funding.
ABC15 reached out to DES for an update on their staffing levels and current solutions to help the concerns. Officials said they are working on gathering that information.
Governor Katie Hobbs recently allocated $7.5 million to reduce wait times by hiring temporary and permanent staff and continuing overtime work.
MacDonnell said her team is working overtime to handle the unprecedented caseload.
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"They're working long hours. They're working fast. They're trying to help as many as possible," MacDonnell said. “It’s kind of like a tsunami of different things that the elected officials are working out. But in the meantime, people are wanting assistance, and they're asking us to help them if they're not getting a response."
If you need help with a state agency issue:
First: Try resolving your issue within the specific agency. Review their website for important information and document everything.
Second: If supervisors aren't helping, escalate to the ombudsman for that specific state agency.
Third: If still unresolved, contact the Arizona Ombudsman's Office Citizens' Aide as a third-party resource.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
