SANTA FE – The New Mexico Human Services Department announces it will prioritize digital customer service opportunities as more New Mexicans prefer e-communications and as new federal guidelines require the department to redetermine eligibility of benefits for all Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
“We are constantly searching for ways to better serve and engage New Mexicans where they are, and these enhancements to our online and call center resources reflect our dedication to being responsive and flexible,” said Angela Medrano, Deputy Cabinet Secretary for the New Mexico Human Services Department. “We look forward to helping customers rebuild stability in their lives, as we together embrace a brighter future.”
For the 22 months prior to January 1, USDA Food and Nutrition Services allowed SNAP benefits to automatically renew due to the Coronavirus pandemic, but effective January, 2022, eligibility now must be redetermined when due. For New Mexico, it means recertification of 544,168 SNAP customers.
Additionally, a similar process for Medicaid may commence in August of 2022 for 988,351 Medicaid customers.
By accelerating digital customer service options, the department aims to ensure our clients of uninterrupted access to the benefits available to them. In preparation, the department is asking customers to make sure that their address is up-to-date on the YesNM website: www.yes.state.nm.us. Users can simply and easily update their address using the chat functionality on the site. Step-by-step directions on how to update your address are also available here.
How customers prefer to access their benefits and services through the department has shifted from in-office services to digital and phone contacts, as shown in the table below (for February, 2022):
| Method of Customer Contact | Number | Percent |
| Digital | 1,062,767 | 80.1% |
| Phone | 193,494 | 14.6% |
| Office | 69,308 | 5.2% |
| 1,216 | 0.1% |
Source data: https://sites.google.com/view/nmhsdscorecard/goal-2?authuser=0
To better align to customer preferences, the department will expand services as follows:
| Online Application and Recertification for SNAP and Medicaid (80%) | Call Center Hours (15%) |
Office Hours (5%) |
|
| Monday |
24/7
|
7:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. | 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. |
| Tuesday | 7:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. | 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. | |
| Wednesday | 7:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. | 8 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. | |
| Thursday | 7:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. | 8 a.m. – 12-noon. | |
| Friday | 7:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. | 8 a.m. – 12-noon. | |
| Saturday | |||
| Sunday |
Customers who require services outside of the lobby hours are encouraged to utilize other methods of communication listed below. Department staff will be devoting 100% of staff resources to application processing for online customers when office lobbies are not open, serving far more customers.
ISD customers can mail documents to:
Income Support Division
PO BOX 830
Bernalillo NM 87004
855-804-8960 (E-Fax)
We talk, interpret and smile in all languages. We provide written information to our customers in both English and Spanish and interpretation services are available in 58 languages through our provider, CTS Language Link. For our hearing, and speech impaired customers, we utilize Relay New Mexico, a free 24-hour service that ensures equal communication access via the telephone to individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind or speech disabled.
The Human Services Department provides services and benefits to 1,057,175 New Mexicans through several programs including: the Medicaid Program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Program, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Child Support Program, and several Behavioral Health Services.
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