Missouri residents file federal lawsuit over state's 'dysfunctional' food assistance program

Mary Holmes, a 55-year-old St. Louis resident with cancer and other health challenges, says she has struggled to put food on the table for more than a month.

Holmes relies on food assistance, but she hasn’t been able to get through the state’s call center line to maintain her federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.

When she calls to complete the necessary steps, she has ended up on hold for 4 to 7 hours, but she’s never actually been connected with a representative.

“I received a notice that my SNAP Application was denied in February,” Holmes said in a statement. “Not having SNAP has been really hard. I hardly have any food to eat.”

https://news.stlpublicradio.org/government-politics-issues/2022-02-23/missouri-residents-file-federal-lawsuit-over-states-dysfunctional-food-assistance-program