Food stamps to be delayed

A program that provides food assistance to needy families will not get enough money to pay full benefits in November.

Recipients of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will get reduced benefits because of an ongoing federal government shutdown.

Kansas Department for Children and Families has been directed to hold off processing benefits until further notice and told that food assistance for November may be delayed or entirely interrupted.

If no federal action is taken by next Tuesday, November benefits will not be disbursed until the federal government reaches a resolution.

The program includes a total distribution of more than $34.4 million to nearly 188,000 Kansans who depend on SNAP to help put food on their tables.

Department for Children and Families Secretary Laura Howard said that as soon as a funding source was available, the agency would act quickly to get benefits out and could have benefits available within 72 hours.

SNAP recipients should continue using their October benefits as normal, Howard said.