By Jason Hancock | Editor-in-Chief

Good morning,

Missouri has a long history of paperwork problems knocking people off public benefits they are still eligible to receive.

Now the Department of Social Services is adding new documentation requirements for SNAP, requiring applicants and recipients to prove expenses and financial resources.

The state says the change will help reduce payment errors before new federal penalties take effect. But advocates worry more paperwork could mean more eligible Missourians losing food assistance because forms go missing, documents aren’t processed or people can’t navigate the system.

Steph Quinn has the details.

(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

by Steph Quinn

While the Department of Social Services says the change is aimed at lowering payment error rates, advocates say it could actually increase errors and cause eligible Missourians to lose benefits.

(Alex Buchanan/Missourian)

by E.V. Beyers

The U.S. Senate passed legislation Tuesday to make America’s National Churchill Museum a National Historic Landmark, sending the bill to President Donald Trump for his signature.

(Getty Images)

COMMENTARY

by Adrian A. Holguin

The state spent this cycle making the paperwork harder to abuse, which was the right move. What regulation cannot eliminate is the vulnerability created during the months when a new licensee has something worth taking and littleexperience defending it.

NEWS TO KNOW

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