(Nexstar) – As the government shutdown continues, more than 40 million people are on the verge of They are missing out on receiving their SNAP benefits Come November.
Should the shutdown continue into November, millions of others receiving food assistance through WIC – the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children – could also find themselves without benefits.
Like SNAP, WIC — which supports low-income pregnant women, new mothers, infants and young children — is overseen by the U.S. Department of Agriculture but run by state agencies. It is generally considered a short-term assistance program, with eligibility depending on whether someone is pregnant, has had a child within the last six months, provides breast-feeding to an enrolled child under the age of 1, or cares for a child under the age of 5.
According to the National WIC Association (NWA), approximately 7 million people in the US receive WIC benefits.
At the beginning of the shutdown, NWA warned that while program funding was lowThe benefits will last for about a week or two. WIC can reallocate unused grant funds from the previous fiscal year to support benefits under USDA’s Shutdown Contingency Plan, but only for a short period of time.
On October 7, WIC received a lifeline as the White House said Invest $300 million in the program To maintain profits from President Trump’s tariff revenues throughout the month.
Nearly three weeks later, with the shutdown still ongoing, WIC is again short of funds.
Georgia Machel, NWA President and CEO, said in a statement, “The National WIC Association is grateful for the emergency funding that kept WIC running this month. However, without additional support, state WIC agencies face another imminent crisis.” tuesday press releaseHe added that many state agencies will run out of money on Nov. 1 and “may need to start making contingency plans” this week.
“NWA is calling on the White House to provide additional emergency funding to weather the short-term crisis for millions of American families who rely on WIC while Congress negotiates full-year funding for FY 2026,” McHale said.
on friday, 44 organizations signed a letter A letter was sent to the White House on behalf of the NWA asking for additional emergency funding. The letter said the funding is needed this week “to avoid major disruptions to WIC” starting Saturday, when the calendar turns to November.
Without the funding, McHale said in Tuesday’s release, state agencies “may be forced to take drastic measures that prevent families from accessing the services they need, such as stopping food benefits.”
Some states are taking steps to ensure funding. In early October, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont said the state would Use money from your reserve fund to keep your WIC program running,
officer inside Forsyth CountyNorth Carolina, said the state Department of Health and Human Services announced Friday that “funding for WIC is expected to be available through at least November 15.”
Health officials in Kansas said the available WIC food money should last through November, Nexstar’s KSNT reportedHowever, the state’s WIC agency has temporarily stopped making formula available for pickup at local clinics due to the government shutdown.
California Department of Public Health encouraging People enrolled in WIC must continue using their benefits “unless your local WIC office tells you otherwise.” officials told KQED It said Wednesday that the state’s WIC program “is expected to remain fully operational by November 30, assuming there are no unexpected changes at the federal government level.”
health officer inside utah And minnesota said their WIC programs will still be available in November.
According to him, New York’s WIC program is “not expected” to be affected by the government shutdown websiteMichigan’s WIC program says this remains open,
except for Requesting funds to keep SNAP runningColorado Governor Jared Polis said last week that WIC access has been expanded in the state. Colorado WIC said an update It said on Wednesday that “the program could continue until at least October 2025.”
If you are unsure about whether your WIC benefits will be interrupted next month, you may want to contact your local agency.
Nexstar’s Alix Martichoux contributed to this report.
