(Nexstar) – As the federal government shutdown continues into its third week, states have begun issuing concerned warnings: Funding for food assistance is about to run out.
“SNAP benefits for November will not be issued if the federal government shutdown continues beyond October 27,” it warned. Texas Department of Health and Human Services,
officer inside colorado, Illinois, minnesota, oregon, new york, pennsylvania And West Virginia All issued similar warnings, saying that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (or SNAP) money was about to run out within days.
“We will run out of money in two weeks,” Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said Thursday.
SNAP, formerly called the Food Stamp Program, helps people living near or below the poverty line afford groceries. The program is funded by federal dollars but administered by state and local agencies. The United States Department of Agriculture began informing states last week that it was looking for alternative sources of funding, but in the meantime states should stop issuing benefits approved after October 16.
Disruption to the fund could affect 42 million people, or 1 in 8 Americans, who rely on SNAP to buy food.
What will happen to November SNAP benefits?
USDA’s shutdown contingency plan Allows the agency to use reserve funds to keep SNAP running if the federal government is shut down for more than a month. But continuing benefits for everyone in November would cost about $8 billion, making it challenging to scrape together the funds.
The size of the contingency fund is close to $6 billion, According to CNN,
Peter Hadler, deputy commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Social Services, said the state can raise money on its own to keep benefits flowing, but they should not be expected to reimburse them.
Benefits may be available late or only to some families. USDA has a plan in place that will allow it to prioritize the November funds to recipients with the greatest need, New York Times report,
It’s also unclear how serious the USDA is about cutting benefits, or whether last week’s warnings are meant to put political pressure on the government to reopen. message on usda website The “radical left” blamed Democrats for the shutdown, while state leaders did the same. pennsylvania And new york Blaming Republicans.
“We’re keeping an eye on this to verify whether food stamps are actually out of money or whether this is just a tactic the administration is playing in the overall conversation,” Charles Salley, director of New Mexico’s Office of Budget and Accountability, told lawmakers at a hearing Wednesday.
“We are in uncharted territory,” Caroline Vega, associate director of the nonprofit Share Our Strength, told the Times. He said the benefits have continued to accrue during the government shutdowns of the last two decades.
The threat to funding for SNAP programs across the country comes at a turbulent time. The deadline for compliance with the One Big Beautiful bill is coming up in November, which is expected loss of profit For some types of SNAP recipients.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
