JEFFERSON CITY 鈥 Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe鈥檚 administration is imposing additional requirements for low-income Missourians to receive food stamps.
In an announcement Monday, the Missouri Department of Social Services said it would begin requiring applicants for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to provide documented proof of housing costs, such as rent, utilities, childcare expenses and bank account information.
The department currently relies on an applicant signing a document attesting to that information.
The added paperwork, which goes into effect Oct. 1, is designed to 鈥渟trengthen program integrity鈥 amid federal changes that were part of President Donald Trump鈥檚 tax cut plan last year, which also imposed work requirements and potential fines for states that have high rates of overpayments and underpayments to enrollees.
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鈥淓nsuring the accuracy and integrity of the SNAP program is essential to supporting Missouri families who rely on these benefits,鈥 said Mandi Adams, director of the department鈥檚 Family Services Division. 鈥淭hese updated verification guidelines help us make consistent, well鈥慸ocumented eligibility decisions while safeguarding resources for households who truly need them.鈥
Since the adoption of work requirements for adults receiving food stamps, enrollment in SNAP has dropped by nearly 40,000 people, as of Aug. 1, according to data provided by the department. Enrollment as of that date was 623,099 people, or about one in 10 Missourians.
Under Trump鈥檚 鈥淏ig Beautiful Bill,鈥 able-bodied enrollees must work, volunteer or be in training for 80 hours a month.
The new law also penalizes states with payment error rates above 6%. Beginning next year, if Missouri does not improve on its 8.6% error rate, it will have to pay 75% of the program鈥檚 administrative costs, which is estimated at $150 million.
SNAP recipients in Missouri聽receive an average of $401 per month for a household, with individuals receiving $197 per month. The overall cost of the program in Missouri, which is funded by the federal government, is about $120 million a month.
The additional verification information applies to initial SNAP applications, recertifications and requests to add new family members on or after Oct. 1.
Current SNAP households do not need to submit new documents because of the change, but will be required to provide them during the recertification process.
Kehoe also is overseeing a plan to ban the purchase of聽candy, sugary drinks and certain desserts with SNAP benefits.
Although the initiative remains in limbo because of a court challenge, the junk food ban is scheduled to go into effect in February.
