DSS staff on leave after forms found

HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) -- Inside the Department of Social Services in Hartford boxes and boxes were discovered with applications for welfare and food stamps. There were forms asking to continue on welfare and even voter registration forms, all untouched and unprocessed and some dated back to 2011.

DSS Commissioner Roderick Bremby sent a letter to Gov. Malloy said, "This is, obviously, a disturbing situation that warrants strong corrective action. It is imperative that the DSS Hartford Regional Office, the largest in the state, be managed with the level of energy and diligence deserved by both the public and our staff in general."

Greg Bass works with Greater Hartford Legal Aid and says his clients have repeatedly told him they were getting the runaround at DSS.

"They're told, no, we don't have your documents, we can't find them so you must not have turned them in," Bass said.

It got so bad they filed a federal class action suit, saying DSS is violating federal law by not processing food stamp requests in 30 days. According to their filing about thirty-percent of DSS clients are routinely left on hold.

"They're just simply trying to put food on the table in their households and they're being thwarted in that very basic attempt to do that," Bass said.

On the streets of Hartford there is real disappointment.

"You know, they need to look into it and really straighten it out 'cause there's a lot of people out there that need help," Michael Porter of Hartford said.

Something Minister Jarmaine Lee knows all too well. He says any delay in getting welfare or food stamps can really make a difference.

"It's unimaginable the amount of people who are in need right now so to see that they're not really looked at or that they're being neglected, it really hurts my heart," Minister Lee of the Mothers United Against Violence said.

Five employees have now been put on administrative leave -- 3 managers and 2 human resources people.

There is no word yet on how many people may have been effected by this. News 8 was told it will take 7 to 10 days to cross-check other forms to find out if people have fallen through the cracks.