US states warn food aid benefits will halt if federal shutdown drags on

WASHINGTON – US states this week warned food aid recipients that their benefits may not be distributed in November if the federal government shutdown stretches into its fourth week.

Warnings issued on at least two dozen state websites flag the potential for an unprecedented benefit gap for more than 41 million people who get aid from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programme (Snap), also known as food stamps, and the nearly seven million who receive aid from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Programme for Women, Infants and Children, known as WIC.

Such a gap threatens to further increase rising hunger rates in the United States.

The administration of President Donald Trump in 2025

shrunk federal funding for food banks

and is rolling out heightened work requirements for Snap that could push some people off the programme.

“Families are going to be hurt by this should it continue, at a time we know families are struggling to make ends meet,” said Ms Minerva Delgado, director of coalitions and advocacy at the Alliance to End Hunger.

Minnesota, California, Pennsylvania and Texas are among states that said November benefits will not be issued if the shutdown continues through next week.

Reuters spoke with representatives of 11 national and state anti-hunger groups and food banks, who said they were preparing Snap and WIC recipients in their communities for disruptions to their benefits. 

If benefits are not delivered, more people would skip meals or make other sacrifices, like falling behind on bills, to keep their families fed, said Mr Chris Bernard, chief executive of Hunger Free Oklahoma.

A US Department of Agriculture (USDA) spokesperson called the looming risk to food aid an “inflection point for Democrats”.

Democrats and Republicans have traded blame for the shutdown,

now the second-longest in US history.

Democrats have withheld votes on a spending Bill in an effort to keep health insurance costs from soaring for many Americans. 

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins told NewsNation on Oct 21 that Snap benefits would “go away” if there is no deal to reopen the government by November.

Food banks under strain

Some of the two dozen states that posted warnings listed earlier potential food stamp cut-off deadlines. “Snap benefits for November won’t be issued if the federal government shutdown continues past Oct 27,” according to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission website.

Some states pointed aid recipients to food banks. 

The Oregon Department of Human Services said in a release: “We encourage everyone who receives Snap to familiarise themselves with the free food resources in their community and to make a plan for what they will do if they do not receive their food benefits in November on time.”

Food banks and state anti-hunger groups told Reuters they are trying to increase fund raising, but pantries are already strained by record demand and cannot replace Snap and WIC benefits. 

Mr Jim Conwell, vice-president of communications at the Greater Chicago Food Depository, said: “This could get really bad. We’re already serving more people than before Covid-19.”

Unusual benefit delays

During federal shutdowns, food aid benefits typically continue uninterrupted because the shutdowns are brief or because the USDA works with states on contingency plans.

During this shutdown, states have had unusually little communication from the USDA. 

The agency on Oct 10 told states not to send benefit recipient information to its electronic benefit transfer (EBT) 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 hurrying to identify possible emergency funds, though not all will have money available, Conduent said.

The USDA has about US$5 billion (S$6.5 billion) in contingency funds it could use to partially fund a month of Snap benefits, which cost about US$8 billion, according to the Centre on Budget and Policy Priorities.

The agency did not respond to questions about whether it intended to draw on those funds.

The Trump administration earlier in October funnelled about US$300 million in tariff revenue to fund October WIC benefits, but has not signalled whether it will do so again for November, said Ms Georgia Machell, chief executive of the National WIC Association.

Without additional funds, Ms Machell said, November could see a “historic disruption to WIC services”. REUTERS