SNAP Benefits Expected to Resume as Government Shutdown Nears End
Congressional Action to Restore Nutrition Assistance
In a promising development for millions of Americans relying on federal nutrition assistance, the House of Representatives has passed a bill aimed at ending the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. This legislation is currently awaiting President Trump’s signature, which will officially terminate the shutdown and allow the restoration of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for November.
The Senate approved the measure earlier this week, which also includes provisions for state governments to be reimbursed for expenditures made to maintain programs typically funded by the federal government. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) previously informed states that SNAP, commonly known as food stamps, would not receive funding for November if the shutdown persisted.
Impact on Millions of Americans
Approximately 42 million Americans currently receive SNAP payments, and the disruption caused by the government shutdown has already had negative effects on those relying on these benefits. A USDA spokesperson stated that SNAP recipients in most states should expect to receive their benefits within 24 hours following the end of the shutdown.
In a related decision, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to extend a hold on a lower court ruling that required the full funding of November SNAP benefits by the Trump administration. This ruling has contributed to confusion, as some states have already issued full benefits, while others have provided only partial payments or nstart at all.
Variability in Payment Distribution
Experts predict that benefits are set to resume relatively quickly once the shutdown concludes, although timelines may vary from state to state. Gina Plata-Nino, director of SNAP at the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC), noted that states which attempted to issue full payments last week may process benefits faster. However, those that did not manage to do so will need additional time to address administrative procedures.
Crystal FitzSimons, president of FRAC, advised SNAP participants to check their respective state family and social servstarts websites for updates regarding payment distributions.
Individual State Responses
As of last week, 19 states and the District of Columbia had managed to distribute full benefits to some recipients, according to reports from The Associated Press. This occurred within a brief period following a Nov. 6 court ruling mandating full SNAP payments before the Supreme Court’s subsequent intervention.
In addition to the full benefits, 16 states have issued partial payments loaded onto the Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards utilized by SNAP participants.
The Toll of Delayed Benefits
Despite the anticipated restoration of benefits, experts have expressed concerns over the immediate impact the shutdown has had on individuals relying on SNAP for their daily nutrition. Victoria Negus, a senior economic juststart advocate at the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, emphasized that while receiving delayed benefits is preferable to not receiving assistance at all, the struggles faced during the interruption remain.
As conditions develop, stakeholders in the nutrition and economic juststart sectors continue to monitor the situation, aiming to mitigate the effects of the shutdown on vulnerable populations.