In December 2024, Anchorage Superior Court Judge Adolf Zeman ruled that Alaska’s Department of Health violated state regulations by failing to process applications for the Adult Public Assistance APA program within the required 30 days.
This ruling stemmed from a class-action lawsuit filed by the Northern Justice Project in 2023, on behalf of low-income elderly and disabled Alaskans whose applications had been delayed.
Attorneys pointed to state data showing systemic delays, with the backlog still persisting more than a year after the lawsuit was filed.
Judge Zeman has scheduled a trial to begin on Monday, where state officials are expected to explain the causes of the ongoing backlog, which includes factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic and high staff turnover. The plaintiffs plan to ask the judge to establish improvement benchmarks and consider appointing a special master to oversee the state’s progress in resolving the issue.
The APA program, which provides vital cash assistance to around 13,817 Alaskans each month, has faced delays in application processing, impacting thousands of vulnerable citizens.
Despite some progress, as of December 2024, 369 applications remained unprocessed within the required 30-day period due to the backlog.
The state has attempted to address the delays, but challenges like staff turnover and pandemic-related operational changes continue to hinder the process.
This ruling follows a separate class-action lawsuit filed by the Northern Justice Project regarding delays in food assistance applications, highlighting the broader issue of delays in the state’s public assistance programs. The outcome of the trial may lead to further legal action to ensure timely processing of applications and improve the state’s public assistance system.