A sign posted on the door of the Division of Public Assistance office in Bethel, Alaska, on Oct. 11, 2023. The office offers full services. (Photo by Claire Stremple/Alaska Beacon)
A sign posted on the door of the Division of Public Assistance office in Bethel, Alaska, on Oct. 11, 2023. The office offers full services. (Photo by Claire Stremple/Alaska Beacon)

At the height of the food stamp backlog last November, pro bono attorneys and other volunteers at Alaska Legal Services got more than 600 requests in one month from Alaskans seeking a fair hearing to get their overdue food benefits.

So the 97 requests that…