skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

No Holiday for Veterans and Others Who Will Lose Food Assistance

play audio
Play

Thursday, July 2, 2015   

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - This weekend, many will feast on summer delights and give thanks to those who have fought for our nation. But those who work to combat hunger say there is not much to celebrate in upcoming changes to safety net programs that serve many veterans and other Missourians.

The legislation will make it harder for childless adults to receive more than three months' access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, in times of high unemployment.

Glenn Koenen is chairman of the hunger task force for Empower Missouri and he says veterans will be hit particularly hard, because many often fall into a grey area.

"They have limitations, but they're not disabled enough to qualify for Social Security, disability, or other benefits."

The measure is expected to cut between 50,000 and 100,000 Missourians from food assistance beginning in January 2016.

Lawmakers who supported the measure say it is designed to eliminate fraud, save money, and help encourage Missourians to return to work, however analysts predict the measure will actually increase administrative costs.

Koenen says he finds the notion that veterans in particular would choose to be unemployed, insulting. He says with the state still struggling to recover from the recession, many veterans returned home to jobs that no longer exist and need time and support to build new skills.

"Here we have people who risked their life for their country, who have given years out of their life to serve us, and as a result, they're probably a little bit more likely to need the food stamps while they try to find a job," he says. "It's so sad that people who have served us, we can't help them."

Koenen says he hopes Missourians will consider opening their hearts and cupboards, because the loss of SNAP benefits at the end of the year will place an additional burden on food pantries, which often bridge the gap when food stamps run out toward the end of the month.

"If all of a sudden we're going to have 50 to 100,000 Missourians who have no other place to get food, that pantry model of supplementing doesn't work as well," says Koenen. "You can't get by giving a 3-day supply of food to somebody who needs a 30-day supply of food."

About 45,000 Missouri households that presently receive SNAP benefits include a veteran. Right now the average food stamp benefit in Missouri is roughly $120 per month for an adult.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
A report from the Tennessee HealthCare Campaign recommended the federal government needs to strengthen 340B drug pricing and other federal negotiation mechanisms to make needed medicines more readily available and less expensive for hospitals to purchase and administer. (Spotmatikphoto/AdobeStock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …


Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…


Nearly 13 million Americans receive health coverage through unique plans under both Medicare and Medicaid. They are known as Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plans. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Medicare and Medicaid are key sources of health coverage for many Americans and some people qualify for assistance under both programs. With lagging …

Social Issues

play sound

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …

More than six in 10 Americans favor keeping the abortion pill mifepristone available in the U.S. as a prescription drug, while over a third are opposed, according to a Gallup poll. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

New research shows more than six in 10 abortions in the U.S. last year were medically induced, and U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto - D-NV - is …

Social Issues

play sound

Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…

Social Issues

play sound

A 2023 study from the University of Nebraska Medical Center concluded the number of Nebraskans with a mental health or substance abuse disorder has pr…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021