TWO IMMEDIATE THREATS PUT SNAP AT RISK FOR 187,000 KANSANS
Kansas families are at significant risk of losing access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). This threat arises from the ongoing government shutdown, compounded by new work requirements set to take place on November 1, as part of H.R.1, which was signed into law in July.
The government shutdown puts the distribution of SNAP benefits in jeopardy if the shutdown continues through the end of October. Kansas families could experience a complete pause or disruption to their SNAP benefits. In our state, the program helps 187,000 Kansans, providing an average of $6 per day per person to cover groceries for working-class Kansans, children, seniors, and people with disabilities. A delay in benefits would put households already struggling to make ends meet in crisis, and would immediately affect our local economies, including grocery stores, farmers, and small businesses.
“Kansas Appleseed finds it unconscionable that hungry families are not the top priority for our leaders in Washington,“ said Haley Kottler, Campaign Director of Kansas Appleseed. “A disruption of benefits would mean empty plates at home and real harm to our local economy, farmers, and local grocery stores.”
At the same time this crisis unfolds, new work requirements for SNAP recipients, passed under HR1, will impact approximately 8,000 new Kansans on November 1, 2025. Historically, SNAP work requirements are reserved for Able Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWD), requiring them to participate in a work or training program for 30 hours per week. With the new HR1 requirements, parents with children over 14 years of age will also be subject to these work requirements for the first time ever. Additionally, the age range for these requirements has now been expanded from 18 to 59 years to 18 to 64 years of age.
“Work requirements on SNAP never work; they only cut access to food for our most vulnerable Kansans,” said Haley Kottler, Campaign Director of Kansas Appleseed. “We encourage Congress to prioritize the working-class families that they continue to use as collateral damage.”
SNAP is more than a safety net for families; it is an economic driver for our state. For every $1 spent on SNAP, $1.50 to $1.80 is generated in local economies. Our economy stands to lose $33 million a month if SNAP is impacted by the shutdown.
Information about SNAP, the shutdown, and upcoming changes due to H.R.1 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.
