I began tracking Missouri food stamp numbers back in the late 1980’s.
Now, several times over the years I’ve watched recessions impact food stamp use. A distinct pattern occurs: a rapid run-up in the number getting stamps, followed by a years-long plateau as the economy stutters into recovery. When prosperity – or a facsimile – catches-up to working families the number fed decreases.
Except that the ‘new normal’ traditionally runs a bit over the starting point. That’s because American recessions create opportunity to get more people to work for less. Some who lose good paying jobs struggle in new, lowering paying jobs long after “prosperity” has returned. For example, sidelined auto workers wind up working in big box stores for less than half their pay.
Back to 2020…
Unemployment exploded as COVID hit. Even now, months later, a million Americans a week are still applying for unemployment benefits. [ https://www.cnbc.com/2020/08/20/weekly-jobless-claims.html ]
As expected, the number of Americans (and Missourians) asking for food stamps soared. Fortunately, the stimulus efforts included extra money to SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the official name for food stamps). Every recipient got the maximum benefit – not a formula amount decreased by household income and other factor. In Missouri the value of food stamps issued jumped from $79 million this January to $134 million in June. And, the number receiving benefits climbed from 658,410 to 773,079 Missourians. [ https://dss.mo.gov/re/pdf/fsd_mhdmr/0120-family-support-mohealthnet-report.pdf & https://dss.mo.gov/re/pdf/fsd_mhdmr/0620-family-support-mohealthnet-report.pdf ]
Impressive? Not so much.
You see, the American economy just had its kneecaps smashed with a baseball bat.
Instead of adding under 115,000 recipients, I expected Missouri’s food stamp rolls to climb by 250,000 citizens.
Now I understand why the increase failed to meet my expectations: Missourians simply can’t get in the door to seek help.
As discussed at a meeting Zoomed out of Jefferson City this week, many of the state’s county-level offices locked their doors due to COVID. Shared space in Resource Centers (food pantries and other non-profit locations) became unavailable. Many “drop boxes” for applicants to leave paperwork after hours (or, without entering the state building) got taken out, and, a hiring freeze prevents getting additional staff to help families.
Remember, the state’s food stamp effort gets managed by a COBOL-based data processing system (think Reagan administration) and applying on-line is, well, user unfriendly and glitchy – at best.
In other words, needing and qualifying for food stamps in Missouri doesn’t mean you can get food stamps in Missouri. For many worthy applicants, you can’t get there from here.
This is by design. His accidency purposely starves the system, the belief obviously being that good people don’t ask for help, only “those people” seek assistance to feed their families.
Again, with closed offices and a hiring freeze the numbers will not climb as they should. Hard working folks who need a hand up face locked doors. Welcome to Missouri.
Glenn