Millions of low-income Americans could lose access to food assistance on Nov. 1, as the federal government shutdown forces states to halt benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the nation’s largest anti-hunger initiative.
At least 25 states — including California, Arkansas, Hawaii, Indiana, Mississippi and New Jersey — told POLITICO they have begun notifying SNAP recipients that November payments will not be issued due to the ongoing shutdown. Other states did not respond to requests for comment before publication.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service recently directed all states to pause the distribution of benefits until further notice, according to multiple state agencies.
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, a Democrat, said during a press conference Wednesday that President Donald Trump is “the first president in U.S. history to cut off SNAP benefits to people in America.”
“The state funding can’t begin to match what the federal government provides,” Healey said. Her state plans to end benefits Nov. 1.
The shutdown, now in its fourth week, has left programs such as SNAP and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) caught in the crossfire of congressional spending negotiations. Some states are attempting to keep programs afloat using limited reserves and emergency funds from the Trump administration, but those resources are quickly running out.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins told NewsNation that the administration would need to find more than $8 billion to keep SNAP operating if the shutdown continues.
“We just can’t do it without the government being open,” Rollins said. “By Nov. 1, we are very hopeful this government reopens and we can begin moving that money out. But right now, half the states are shut down on SNAP.”
SNAP currently serves more than 42 million people nationwide, providing an average of $187.20 per month to help families pay for groceries. The suspension of benefits would come just weeks before Thanksgiving — a time when food banks and pantries are already struggling to meet higher seasonal demand.
Even if Congress reaches a funding agreement before the end of October, many states expect delays in processing November payments. The Kansas Department for Children and Families told POLITICO it would take at least three days to restart the program after the shutdown ends.
The government shutdown began Oct. 1 after Congress failed to pass a budget or a temporary funding measure for the new fiscal year. Without congressional action, federal agencies, including the USDA, remain closed or partially operational.
According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the lapse in food assistance could affect more than 40 million Americans — including about 16 million children, 8 million older adults, and 4 million people with disabilities.
Thirty-six states have issued public warnings about potential interruptions to November SNAP payments, according to data compiled by Newsweek.
The potential disruption adds to growing concern about food insecurity across the country, with advocates warning that millions of Americans could face hunger as the political stalemate continues.