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Jan 6, 2009 2:31 pm US/Central
More Seeking Social Services Help In Tight Economy
ST. CLOUD, Minn. (AP) ―
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In Sherburne County, hit hard by the housing market slump, the social services department fielded 625 phone calls on Dec. 1, a one-day record. (File)
AP
Social services officials in central Minnesota say they are seeing a substantial increase in the number of people seeking help because of the slumping economy.
And, they say, many of these people have never had to ask for help before.
Christina Zeise, planner for the Sherburne County social services department, said her county is seeing many typical, two-income middle-class families that are suddenly without one income due to a layoff. Many are finding they can't make mortgage or car payments.
"All of the sudden they're spiraling down," she said.
In Sherburne County, hit hard by the housing market slump, the social services department fielded 625 phone calls on Dec. 1, a one-day record. The previous record for a single day was in the 500s, Zeise said.
On Dec. 4, 205 people came into the office, which also was the most in a single day, Zeise said.
"I am thinking that this is the beginning of a trend," she said.
Roma Steil, Stearns County human services administrator, said that in November, an average of 24 people walked into the Stearns County office each day seeking help. That is double the number of daily walk-ins from two years ago.
Steil said about 14 people called the county every day in 2008 for information about financial assistance. That's up from an average of three calls a day in 2006.
Sandy Lambertson, financial supervisor in the Benton County human services department, said people who have been laid off sometimes find their unemployment compensation is too high for them to qualify for cash assistance or food stamps.
"It's opened a lot of people's eyes to how poor you really need to be to be on assistance," she said.
Not all of the callers are seeking financial help. All three counties report a growing number of people asking about mental health services.
It's hard to know whether that increased need is related to the economy, Zeise said, but more people are having trouble getting medications because they've been laid off and lost their health insurance or can't afford the premiums.
When people are having a hard time paying for their basic needs, it can exacerbate mental health conditions, she said.
Financial stresses might also be at the root of the increasing numbers of child protection cases. The number of reports of abuse or neglect investigated in Benton County rose to 121 last year from an average of 95 in each of the three previous years, said Bruce DeGrote, child protection supervisor.
In Sherburne County, Zeise said, officials are seeing more calls from people wondering how old children have to be left home alone.
"I would assume what we're seeing there (are) people who don't have enough money for day care anymore trying to save money that way," she said.
(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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