Stated handouts ultimately help (4)
I believe the answer is:
said
'stated' is the definition.
('say' can be a synonym of 'state')
'handouts ultimately help' is the wordplay.
'ultimately' indicates one should take the final letters.
'help' becomes 'aid' (synonyms).
The last letter of 'handouts' is 's'.
's'+'aid'='SAID'
(Other definitions for said that I've seen before include "Spoken" , "Remarked" , "Mentioned" , "Uttered at Suez port" , "Rumoured" .)