TRENTON, N.J. (AP) -- A Y2K computer glitch gave New Jersey welfare recipients millions of dollars in food assistance nearly two weeks early.
It's the so-called millennium bug's most widespread effect on the public so far, one expert said.The error affecting 194,000 recipients was introduced Sunday during a test to determine whether a state welfare computer was protected from the problem involving how some computers read dates, said Ed Rogan, a spokesman for the state Department of Human Services.
The error "made the benefits available as of April 1, 1990, instead of April 1, 1999," making next month's benefits available immediately, Rogan said.
Most New Jersey welfare recipients carry benefits cards that work like bank debit cards, so they quickly learned when making purchases that their accounts had grown unexpectedly.
Some called the state to report the error, but others crowded grocery stores to take advantage of the windfall.
All accounts were fixed by Monday afternoon, Rogan said.
The error was introduced when the computer was adjusted two weeks ago to cope with the change to the year 2000. On Sunday, the computer didn't fill in the year when new information was entered. State officials said a worker then tried to fix the omission by typing in "1999" but left off the final "9" -- and the computer assumed the blank should be a zero.
"This was somebody who was well-intentioned, trying to help things flow," said David C. Heins, director of the state's Division of Family Development.
As much as $58 million may have been involved.
Howard Rubin, a Hunter College professor familiar with Y2K problems, called it the "biggest visible occurrence of Y2K impact on the public."
State officials still must decide what to do about welfare recipients who cashed in and used their benefits 1 1/2 weeks early.
Heins warned that recipients might have to make the early benefits last to the end of April.
"There is no guarantee there is going to be any extra assistance in the event that they consumed all their food stamps early," Heins said.
He said his agency would have to see how many people used up their benefits, and consult with federal officials, before deciding what to do about families that run short.