SNAP benefits still not available for Kansas: Kansas Appleseed

KANSAS (KSNT) - A Kansas advocacy organization reports that all households receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will see dramatic reductions when their November benefits are issued.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service released guidance on Nov. 4 regarding how states should implement the reductions for November benefits. Around 187,000 Kansas families rely on SNAP benefits every month.

States are directed to reduce SNAP maximum allotments by 50%, drastically lowering benefits for most Kansans. Some households may receive only a few dollars in benefits, if any at all, according to Kansas Appleseed. This reduction comes amid multiple court orders requiring the Trump Administration to at least partially pay out November SNAP benefits.

“You can’t feed a family with political excuses,” said Haley Kottler, campaign director of Kansas Appleseed. “Yet that’s exactly what 187,000 Kansans are being served as the federal shutdown drags on. We call on our federal delegation to end this inhumane government shutdown and bring stability to some of our state's most vulnerable residents."

Without an end in sight for the government shutdown, Kansans are facing a tough decision between paying bills and putting food on the table. Local food banks are already experiencing a stark increase in demand from working class families and government employees who are turning to emergency food assistance to make ends meet.

Kansas Appleseed is hosting a webinar at 1 p.m. on Nov. 5 to discuss ongoing changes to SNAP. Kottler and Staff Attorney Micah Tempel will be explaining the impacts on Kansas as well as providing legal analysis on the situation as it has been developing.

Information about the USDA guidance can be found here. The Kansas Department of Children and Families is releasing updates on the shutdown situation which can be viewed by clicking here.

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