Food benefits

Ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, KCUR's Up To Date broadcasted from Harvesters Community Food Network in Kansas City to hear how the organization is managing a time of extremely high demand.

Federal food assistance has started to flow again after the government reopened. But the charitable food system is planning for continued need through the end of the year.

Researchers surveyed low-wage workers and found many report administrative burdens in signing up and keeping vital Medicaid and SNAP coverage.

Baylee Watts, the Missouri Department of Social Services' media director, said in an email that the department is working with its electronic benefits vendor to distribute full November benefits.

Refugees and asylum grantees are among those who can no longer qualify for federal nutrition support until five years after obtaining green cards, because of new restrictions in President Trump's budget bill.

After weeks of uncertainty, Kansas released SNAP benefits to residents on Friday, while Missouri plans to release benefits — either full or partial payments — later this week. But the recent Trump budget bill added a number of restrictions to the program.

The administration's appeal to the high court over the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program comes despite new efforts to end the federal shutdown, which would render the issue moot.

The Missouri Department of Social Services said it was awaiting further instruction about distributing SNAP benefits, as the USDA appeals a court decision requiring it to fully fund the program during the shutdown.

In failing to fully fund the food assistance program that covers 42 million low-income Americans, the judge said the government "failed to consider the harms" to people who rely on the benefits. Kansas City-area food banks and nonprofits were struggling to meet demand.

Tens of thousands of Kansas City residents are faced with the consequences of the longest government shutdown in American history. People who rely on food benefits remain without the funding that helps put food on the table, while the area’s many federal workers are furloughed or continue to work without pay.

Many Kansas City families are worried about their next meal. The government shutdown has left thousands of federal workers in the metro without a paycheck. At the same time, SNAP benefits have been cut back and delayed. Here’s a list of Kansas City-area pantries and kitchens who are meeting the demand.

Propel makes a free app for people on food stamps. Led by Jimmy Chen, who grew up living with food insecurity in Kansas City, Propel is now giving some of its users $50 each to help offset the government's delayed SNAP payments.