SNAP BENEFITS STILL NOT AVAILABLE FOR KANSANS AMIDST CONFUSING GUIDANCE FROM USDA
187,000 Kansas families are facing devastating reductions to their November Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Under a federal directive from the Trump Administration, all households receiving SNAP will see dramatic changes when their November benefits are issued. These temporary reductions are the direct result of the government shutdown and come at a time when SNAP recipients in Kansas have already experienced a delay in receiving their benefits.
Today, the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service, currently led by former Kansas State Representative Patrick Penn, released guidance on how states should implement the reduction in SNAP benefits for November.
- The guidance directs states to reduce SNAP maximum allotments by 50%.
- For many Kansans on SNAP, this reduction will result in drastically lower SNAP benefits for most Kansans.
- Many households may receive only a few dollars in benefits to no benefits at all this month, rather than 50% of their typical amount.
- This reduction comes amid multiple court orders requiring the Trump Administration to at least partially pay out November SNAP benefits.
Kansans are facing the tough decision of choosing between paying bills and putting food on the table because of delays in receiving benefits and uncertainty about the amount they will receive this month. In the midst of this, the Trump Administration is promoting misinformation about SNAP, engaging in partisan blame, and creating confusion about whether, when, and how SNAP recipients will receive their benefits for November.
“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 to the shutdown, local grocery stores, food banks, and community organizations are already feeling an immediate strain as working-class Kansans turn to emergency food assistance and direct services to fill the gap.
Kansas Appleseed is hosting a webinar on Wednesday, November 5, at 1 PM/CST to detail the ongoing changes to SNAP benefits across Kansas. Campaign Director Haley Kottler and Staff Attorney Micah Tempel will explain the impact on hard-working Kansans and provide legal analysis of the recent federal rulings. Register here.
Information about the USDA guidance can be found here.
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About Kansas Appleseed: is a statewide organization that believes Kansans, working together, can build a state full of thriving, inclusive, and just communities. We conduct policy research and analysis and work with communities and partners to understand the root causes of problems and advocate for comprehensive solutions. For more information, please visit www.kansasappleseed.org
