The prolonged U.S. government shutdown is putting millions of Americans at risk of missing their November food stamp benefits, a vital lifeline for low-income households.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, said in a memo Sunday that no benefits will be issued on Nov. 1, leaving the program’s roughly 42 million beneficiaries uncertain about how they’ll pay for groceries next month.
SNAP recipients receive an average of $187 a month on a prepaid card, and many families rely on those benefits as their main source of money for food. Many of those registered with the program are also asking if they will still be able to use the remaining dollars on their cards once funding is suspended and if they’ll receive their November benefits retroactively, should lawmakers reach a deal to reopen the government.
With just days to go before a potential suspension in SNAP funding, here’s what to know.
Will current SNAP benefits roll over to November?
While SNAP benefits will not be disbursed as scheduled in November, program recipients can use existing funds on their EBT cards to make purchases. If someone enrolled in the program hasn’t spent all their October EBT dollars, for example, those benefits would roll over into November.
Some states are advising recipients to use their remaining food stamps wisely, given the stalemate over funding the federal government.
“If you have remaining balances from previous months, we encourage you to plan your shopping carefully and purchase essential food items when needed,” Hawaii’s Department of Human Services said on its website.
Will SNAP recipients get paid retroactively for missed payments?
The USDA hasn’t indicated whether SNAP benefits would be paid retroactively once the government shutdown ends.
But social service experts who spoke with CBS News said they expect the USDA to pay the delayed November benefits once federal funding resumes.
“It is our understanding that SNAP benefits will be issued retroactively when the shutdown ends,” said Lizbeth Ginsburg, a managing attorney in the welfare law unit at Greater Boston Legal Services.
Federal rules governing the food-stamp program stipulate that SNAP recipients are entitled to their benefits, and that they should receive them if there’s a disruption, said Gina Plata-Nino, interim SNAP director at the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC), a nonprofit group focused on ending hunger.
“That’s why many state agencies have done a very good job of saying, ‘Your benefits will be delayed,’ versus, ‘You are not getting benefits,’” she told CBS News.
Can states step in to fund SNAP?
While SNAP is federally funded and overseen by the USDA, each state is responsible for administering the program to its residents.
Some states are taking action, with Democratic lawmakers urging Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to tap into an estimated $5 billion in contingency funds to cover SNAP benefits next month. On Tuesday, a coalition of officials from 25 states and the District of Columbia sued the Trump administration over the suspension of benefits, arguing that it is unlawful. The lawsuit notes that this would mark the first delay in SNAP benefits in the program’s history.
In recent days, several states have pledged to step in to ensure SNAP recipients can afford food in November. Their approaches vary, with some states promising to dispatch troops to support food banks, while others are allocating funds for general hunger relief.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry signed an emergency declaration on Oct. 24 intended to fund SNAP benefits for people who rely on the program, while Vermont lawmakers on Oct. 29 approved a plan to cover its residents’ food stamp benefits through Nov. 15.
Other states say they plan to ramp up support for local food banks by providing on-site personnel and additional funding. California Gov. Gavin Newsom said last week he would deploy National Guard troops to assist food bank operations and fast-track $80 million to keep the state’s food banks stocked.
In New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul said she is providing $30 million in state funding to support 16 million meals. Roughly 3 million people in New York are on food stamps.
Other states that have announced actions to help SNAP recipients include Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Iowa, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Nevada, New Mexico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Virginia, Washington and West Virginia.
Officials in these states are stepping in despite the USDA saying states lack the authority to cover benefits and won’t be reimbursed.
“There is no provision or allowance under current law for states to cover the cost of benefits and be reimbursed,” the agency said in its memo.
Plata-Nino said that puts states in a difficult position, given their already limited reserves. It also diverts attention and funding from other priorities, she added.
“These are resources that could have gone to other places,” she said.
Edited by
Alain Sherter and
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