Now that the shutdown is over, when does the rest of Missouri SNAP aid go out?
Hours after legislators voted to end the government shutdown, questions across the nation still surround federal food assistance and when families will get all of their benefits.
While Kansas is one of the states that already issued full benefits of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, Missouri only began to distribute partial assistance this week. And the Department of Social Services is still in a bit of a waiting game.
Baylee Watts, a DSS spokeswoman, said the agency is “awaiting further guidance” from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service on how to proceed and issue the remaining benefits.
“The Department of Social Services will move quickly to distribute benefits to eligible households once that direction is received,” Watts said in an email.
Benefits for nearly 42 million Americans have been in question for weeks due to the government shutdown. The USDA has issued guidance to states on multiple occasions telling them what formulas to use when determining what amount of benefits to distribute. That has only added to the confusion.
On Tuesday, after yet more updated guidance from the USDA, DSS said it was preparing to issue partial benefits up to 65%.
“The Department’s EBT vendor has been notified and confirmed that they are prepared to receive and process Missouri’s SNAP file,” said Chris Moreland, a DSS spokesperson, in an email. “Participants will have their partial benefits available starting Tuesday, November 11, and will be able to access and use them at that time.”
Watts said Thursday that households that typically receive benefits between “the beginning of the month and now” have received their partial November payment.
“Those with later issuance dates will receive their benefits on their normal schedule,” she said.
.jpeg "IMG_671_fitted (1).jpeg")
Kansas jumped out early and distributed full payments late last week.
On Friday, a day after a federal judge in Rhode Island ordered the Trump administration to fully fund November’s SNAP assistance — which the administration appealed — the Kansas Department for Children and Families announced on its website that households would begin getting their full benefits that day.
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly said that a total of $31.6 million in benefits would be distributed to approximately 86,000 households.
According to the Associated Press, at least 19 states plus the District of Columbia distributed full benefits to at least some households last week.
