Food benefits

Despite a federal lawsuit, callers to Missouri's hotline handling SNAP benefits waited on hold an average of an hour and a half in August before being connected to agents.

Missouri is one of just seven states that still hasn’t been approved by the federal government to administer summer emergency food benefits, called Pandemic EBT. Officials expect benefits to be dispersed before the end of the year.

During the pandemic, participation in the federal program for low-income women and children dropped more steeply in Missouri than in all but one other state, a new report found. One cause might be Missouri's burdensome administrative system, which requires EBT cards to be physically swiped when loading benefits.

Missouri is the only state that chose not to participate in a federal program allowing parents and kids in low-income areas to pick up free meals and take them home — resulting in a dramatic drop in the number of meals distributed to low-income children.

A federal lawsuit against the Missouri Department of Social Services alleges that its “dysfunctional” call line and burdensome application process for SNAP benefits violates federal law and applicants' constitutional rights.

Even with schools closed, summer meal sites in the Kansas City area serve breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks, and they may be closer to your home than you think.

Over 76% of stores in Kansas City are now out of stock of formula. To keep babies fed, friends and family members are sending cans of formula to others with babies, posting on community boards what they see at the grocery store, and donating excess breast milk.

The Democratic governor also vetoed bills that would raise the barrier to eligibility for food stamps and broaden COVID-19 lawsuit immunity for health providers.

Legal advocates are going to court to seek benefits for Missourians, who they say are being illegally shut out by a long and dysfunctional application process.

A federal lawsuit filed Tuesday against the Missouri Department of Social Services alleges that its unresponsive call line and burdensome application process for food assistance violates federal law and residents' constitutional rights.

About half of the 47,000 SNAP applications that Missouri received in September were rejected. That’s a 60% increase from the number of applications rejected in July.

A new report from the USDA shows SNAP benefits have a bigger impact on rural economies.