SNAP Advocates Defend Victories in Lawsuit Over Missouri SNAP Dysfunction
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 7, 2025
CONTACT: Patrick Fowler, Communications Strategist, NCLEJ | fowler@nclej.org
MISSOURI – This week, the National Center for Law and Economic Justice, Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, and Stinson LLP are defending their victories in an ongoing lawsuit against the Missouri Department of Social Services (DSS) over their dysfunctional administration of SNAP. These groups are asking the Circuit Court to reject appeals by the Missouri DSS that would overturn Summary Judgement and Relief orders won against the State.
In May 2024, the District Court entered Summary Judgement in the case, ruling that the State’s administration of SNAP violated federal SNAP law and the ADA. One year later in May 2025, the Court ordered the Missouri Department of Social Services to come into compliance with the SNAP Act, the Due Process Clause, and the ADA and outlines steps the agency must take under the Court’s supervision.
SNAP advocates are defending their victories in the Missouri lawsuit at a time when SNAP benefits for over 40 million Americans are threatened due to the ongoing government shutdown. While the USDA has been ordered to tap into contingency funding to pay for SNAP benefits this November, the Trump administration has appealed the ruling.
These legal victories which remedy SNAP dysfunction will ensure that more people get access to the SNAP benefits to which they are legally entitled once the government shutdown ends and funding of programs returns to normal.
“The Missouri DSS is attempting to overturn the court decisions that will force them to fix their dysfunctional management of SNAP,” said Katie Deabler, Senior Attorney at NCLEJ. “We are fighting to keep these orders in place to ensure that eligible Missourians have access to the food benefits they need to survive.”
“Low-income Missourians should not be forced to face insurmountable and illegal barriers to maintain essential safety net benefits,” said Katherine Holley, Staff Attorney with the Legal Services of Eastern Missouri. ”The District Court’s order helps to ensure that needy Missourians will not go hungry and should be affirmed.”
“We are asking the court to reject this appeal, which would prevent meaningful progress to fix Missouri’s SNAP dysfunction from taking place, said Andrew Scavotto, Partner at Stinson, LLP. “We look forward to making food benefits more accessible to the hundreds of thousands who rely on SNAP.”
The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri in February 2022 on behalf of Empower Missouri and two low-income Missourians against Robert Knodell, then Director of the State’s Department of Social Services.
The May 2025 relief order highlights that the State has not made meaningful progress to address their dysfunctional administration of SNAP since the entry of Summary Judgement in May 2024.
In September 2025, 37% of denied applications were denied solely for failure to complete an interview. Many of these denials are caused by dropped calls and long wait times – and not based on any other qualifying factor.
Under the relief order, within 60 days, the agency was required to:
- Implement meaningful changes that make it easier for applicants to apply for SNAP, including providing for online, mobile, and mailed paper applications.
- Cease denying applications for failure to interview when the applicant has made reasonable attempts to complete the interview, and take steps to inform applicants of the interview requirement and the ways interviews can be completed, including the option to have a face-to-face interview and scheduling an interview.
- Reduce average call center wait times so that 90% of callers have no more than a 20 minute average wait time.
- Reduce the number of applications rejected for failure to interview to no more than 20% of all applications.
- Develop an ADA policy that ensures their SNAP program complies with the ADA.\
The National Center for Law and Economic Justice is a legal nonprofit organization that advances racial and economic justice for low-income families, individuals, and communities across the country through ground-breaking impact litigation, policy advocacy, and support for grassroots organizing. Founded in 1965, NCLEJ fights to protect access to critical benefits like food stamps, Medicaid, and childcare, protect low-wage workers’ rights and safety, advocates for the rights of people with disabilities, and fights unlawful debt collection.
Legal Services of Eastern Missouri provides free legal services to low-income Missourians in 21 counties of eastern Missouri, in order to improve lives, promote fairness, and create opportunities for those in need.
Stinson LLP is a full-service business law firm with nearly 475 attorneys who serve clients nationwide from its 12 offices in the Midwest, Mountain West, and Southwest, and in Washington, D.C. Specifically, Stinson provides a complete range of services to clients who need to interact with government at all levels, including businesses, trade associations, nonprofits, and citizens’ groups.
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