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Having trouble getting through on Texas 2-1-1? Here’s what’s going on

The 2-1-1 Texas hotline continues to experience technical difficulties, meaning many Texans trying to access information about food pantries or other assistance won’t be able to get through.

On March 22, a 2-1-1 operator in central Texas said the hotline was “experiencing a statewide system outage that has caused us to be unable to take calls at this time.”

Since then, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, which operates the 2-1-1 program, has continued to post updates on social media and online saying that the hotline is experiencing technical difficulties.

It’s unclear when full service will be restored.

“2-1-1 is experiencing technical difficulties, and callers may be experiencing longer than normal wait times,” commission spokesman José Andrés Araiza said in an emailed statement. “HHSC is working with our contractor Lumen to resolve these issues as quickly as possible. Individuals may log onto YourTexasBenefits.com to check their benefits or visit a local HHSC office for assistance. Callers may also visit 211Texas.org for information about services in the community.”

The state has advised people who need assistance to call 2-1-1 later if they are unable to get through, or else to go online to YourTexasBenefits.com.