Hailey
A councilmember in St. Charles County, Missouri made remarks on a local social-media platform where he described people receiving public assistance—including benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)—as “just lazy people”.
He referenced families getting “free food from SNAP and food banks” and said that “if everyone pulled their weight we all would be better off.”
These comments triggered strong backlash amid a looming federal shutdown that threatens issuance of November SNAP benefits in Missouri.
Why it matters right now
The state’s social services department has confirmed that due to the ongoing federal shutdown, November SNAP benefits in Missouri cannot be issued until federal funds are secured. T
his places approximately 650,000 Missourians at risk of missing monthly food-aid benefits.
In neighbouring Illinois, roughly 2 million people are similarly at risk if the shutdown continues.
The combination of harsh remarks by a local official and the threat of lost benefits has resulted in heightened tension and concern across the region.
The controversial remarks and fallout
The councilmember publicly made comments on a social network saying that families receiving Social Security for children, Section 8 housing, and SNAP were not working hard, concluding with “They are just lazy people.”
When contacted, he declined further comment. Local residents and anti-hunger advocates strongly criticised the remarks, pointing out that the majority of SNAP households include children, seniors or people with disabilities—and that many recipients are in working families.
The timing of the remarks, coinciding with the shutdown’s threat to benefits, magnified the impact.
The numbers you should know
| Key Point | Details |
|---|---|
| Official involved | Councilmember in St. Charles County, Missouri |
| Remark made | Called benefit recipients “just lazy people” |
| Social-aid programs referenced | SNAP, Section 8 housing, child Social Security benefits |
| Missouri at-risk population | ~650,000 SNAP participants |
| Illinois at-risk population | ~2,000,000 SNAP participants |
| Local household SNAP usage | > 3 % in St. Charles County, ~7.9 % in nearby St. Louis County, 20 %+ in some southern Missouri counties |
| Effect of shutdown | November SNAP benefits cannot be issued until federal funds are restored |
Community response and context
Food banks and local charities in the St. Louis metropolitan region are already bracing for higher demand. Advocates emphasise that the problem lies not with the individual recipients but with the interruption of federal funding.
They highlight that many SNAP participants are in working households and that assistance is critical for children, seniors and disabled people.
Several businesses and community groups have begun organising food drives to fill in the impending gap.
Bottom line
The councilmember’s “lazy” label of SNAP recipients has drawn intense criticism—just as the region faces a severe risk of food-aid disruption.
With millions potentially losing access to assistance starting November if the shutdown persists, the remarks underscore a broader question about public understanding of welfare programs and the urgency of federal action to maintain the safety net.
At a moment when the federal safety net is under threat, a local leader’s insensitive remarks have added fuel to an already combustible situation.
As the shutdown endangers SNAP benefits for hundreds of thousands in Missouri and beyond, community groups are stepping up to fill the gap.
The real focus now lies on protecting access to food for vulnerable families—while holding officials accountable for their words and actions.