Missouri says WIC program will continue in November despite shutdown

Alison Patton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Special benefits for low-income mothers are safe for now, despite the ongoing federal shutdown, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services announced Wednesday.

Benefits under the Special Supplement Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children program, known commonly as WIC, will be dispersed for November, but might not last the whole month without changes, the agency says.

WIC, like SNAP, is federally funded through congressional appropriations. That money is then sent to the states to administer the program. DHSS said Wednesday that it found savings in its October benefit payments that can keep the program going into November.

In its news release, the department didn’t specify how much money it saved or exactly how long funding will last.

DHSS said it will let people know if the benefits run out in the second half of November.

WIC is a program to help low-income young mothers and their children with food and other benefits. Like SNAP, also known as food stamps, WIC’s federal funding will run out next month unless Congress acts.

Other states have taken steps similar to Missouri’s to keep WIC funded, including Hawaii, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Oregon and Wyoming, according to The Hill. Some states have stepped up to provide SNAP funds, but Missouri has yet to make that move.

Wednesday marks day 29 of the government shutdown, and is nearly a week shy of surpassing the last government shutdown.

Check back for updates.

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