Barriers block Missouri SNAP and Medicaid users from keeping vital benefits, survey finds

Researchers surveyed low-wage workers and found many report administrative burdens in signing up and keeping vital Medicaid and SNAP coverage.

Many low-wage workers who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program were on an emotional roller coaster during the federal government shutdown about if and when their payments would arrive.

But new research shows that even when there isn't a shutdown, people have a difficult time accessing those federal benefits.

Researchers at Washington University and the University of North Carolina surveyed hundreds of workers with incomes below 250% of the federal poverty line — about $40,000 a year for an individual.

The resulting report quantified what many already know: Thanks to a confounding maze of administrative burdens, getting and stay