As the federal government shutdown enters its fourth week, several U.S. states have issued warnings to food aid recipients that their benefits may not be forthcoming in November.
This unprecedented situation could potentially affect over 41 million individuals who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps, and nearly 7 million who receive aid from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC).
According to Reuters, this potential gap in benefits threatens to exacerbate the already rising hunger rates in the U.S. The Trump administration has been criticized for reducing federal funding for food banks this year and for implementing stricter work requirements for SNAP, which could result in some individuals losing their benefits.
"Families are going to be hurt by this should it continue, at a time we know families are struggling to make ends meet," warned Minerva Delgado, director of coalitions and advocacy at the Alliance to End Hunger.
States including Minnesota, California, Pennsylvania, and Texas have indicated that November benefits will not be disbursed if the shutdown continues into next week. Representatives from 11 national and state anti-hunger groups and food banks have expressed their concerns to Reuters, stating that they are preparing SNAP and WIC recipients in their communities for potential disruptions in benefits.
Chris Bernard, CEO of Hunger Free Oklahoma, fears that if benefits are not delivered, more people would skip meals or make other sacrifices, like falling behind on bills, to keep their families fed.
The ongoing government shutdown, now the second longest in U.S. history, has become a point of contention between Democrats and Republicans. The Democrats have withheld votes on a spending bill in an effort to prevent health insurance costs from skyrocketing for many Americans.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins told NewsNation on Tuesday that SNAP benefits would "go away" without a deal to reopen the government by November.
Several of the states that issued warnings have also listed earlier potential food stamp cutoff deadlines. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission website, for instance, states, "SNAP benefits for November wont be issued if the federal government shutdown continues past Oct. 27."
Some states have advised aid recipients to turn to food banks. The Oregon Department of Human Services, in a release, encouraged SNAP recipients to familiarize themselves with the free food resources in their community and to plan for the possibility of not receiving their food benefits in November on time.
However, food banks and state anti-hunger groups have told Reuters that they are already strained by record demand and cannot replace SNAP and WIC benefits, despite efforts to increase fundraising. "This could get really bad. We're already serving more people than before COVID," said Jim Conwell, Vice President of communications for the Greater Chicago Food Depository.
During federal shutdowns, food aid benefits typically continue uninterrupted because the shutdowns are brief or because the USDA works with states on contingency plans. However, this shutdown has seen unusually little communication from the USDA.
The agency instructed states on October 10 not to send benefit recipient information to their electronic benefit transfer processors as they typically would in preparation for distributing the following month's benefits. But it has not issued further instruction, according to EBT processor Conduent, which works with 37 states.
States are now scrambling to identify possible emergency funds, though not all will have money available, Conduent said. The USDA has about $5 billion in contingency funds it could use to partially fund a month of SNAP benefits, which cost about $8 billion, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. The agency did not respond to questions about whether it intended to draw on those funds.
Earlier this month, the Trump administration redirected about $300 million in tariff revenue to fund October WIC benefits, but it has not indicated whether it will do so again for November, said the CEO of the National WIC Association, Machell. Without additional funds, Machell warned, November could see a "historic disruption to WIC services."
As the government shutdown continues, the potential for a significant disruption in food aid services looms large. The situation underscores the importance of resolving the political impasse and reopening the government to ensure that millions of Americans do not go hungry.
The impact of the shutdown on food aid services also highlights the need for a more sustainable solution to food insecurity in the U.S., one that is not subject to the whims of political disagreements.
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