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January payments will go out early State getting ready for possible Y2K glitch By KELLY STEWART Oregon will make some electronically issued benefits available early because of possible computer glitches next year. Recipients of Temporary Assistance to Needy Families and food stamps will be able to draw on January 2000's allotment beginning Dec. 28. The allotments are usually given out on a staggered basis each month. But on Dec. 28, everyone who receives food stamps and TANF will be allotted January's funds on the same day. In February, the schedule will return to normal. "The Red Cross is encouraging everyone to have a small supply of food on hand during the first weekend of January," said Gary Weeks, director of the Oregon Department of Human Resources, the state's health and human services agency. "We want our clients to have the opportunity to shop in advance." People on food stamps and TANF would have difficulty saving enough money to buy extra food for the first weekend in January, said Mac Prichard, Y2K communication coordinator for DHR. "Folks who rely on food stamps have a very tight budget," he said. "Often, there's nothing left over at the end of the month." More than 100,000 Oregon TANF and food stamp households will receive a notice later this year informing them of this change. The state's more than 355,000 Medicaid recipients will also receive January's identification card earlier than normal to safeguard against unexpected Y2K disruptions. Oregon received federal money to distribute food stamps and TANF funds early, and other states have been examining similar options, Pritchard said. The department of human resources has also created a comprehensive document that outlines agency operations during a Y2K emergency. The plan's priorities include delivering medical and cash assistance, distributing food stamps and provider payments, offering child and adult protective services and foster care, and caring for and tracking hospital patients. "As happens with most contingency plans, we may never use ours," Weeks said. "A few changes in our usual procedures will occur no matter what happens on New Year's Day." DHR invested $49.1 million to ready its computer systems for potential Year 2000 problems. Some computers can't tell the difference between 1900 and 2000, prompting worries that myriad computer-run systems could fail at the beginning of next year. The department's systems will be Y2K-ready by Aug. 30, Weeks said. As of July 21, nearly 95 percent of critical systems have been Y2K-tested and are back in production. Other steps DHR will take this fall as part of its Y2K emergency planning include: Restricting vacation for selected employees from Nov. 1 through Jan. 31. Printing selected business information stored on computers in case it is needed later. Working with Oregon Emergency Management and the Oregon Department of Transportation on emergency communications. Preparing alternative sites in case one or more of DHR's 160 field offices cannot be used. Continuing a long-standing computer backup arrangement with Weyerhaeuser Company in Federal Way, Wash. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA