November SNAP Benefits Delayed as Government Shutdown Continues

Typically during a government shutdown, the USDA has some carryover and reserve funds to cover benefit payments for a limited period, said Gina Plata-Nino, interim SNAP director for the Food Research and Action Center, a nonprofit research and advocacy organization.

​​SNAP benefits are also usually set aside to be paid out a month in advance, Plata-Nino said in an interview, so October benefits were routed to states for payout by the time the shutdown occurred.

But plans for November were a different story.

​​USDA said in its Oct. 10 letter that state agencies, which operate on their own schedule for issuing benefits, should wait to process next month’s benefits until further notice.

In past shutdowns, SNAP has been paid via available federal funds.

“The tap has never been turned off, even during a shutdown,” said Oregon state treasurer Elizabeth Steiner during an Oct. 23 press call. “Because everybody, up until now, every administration, Republican or Democrat, has understood that feeding Americans is a fundamental responsibility of the federal government.”

States are advising residents that they can continue to use any leftover funds on their benefit cards to purchase SNAP-eligible goods.

Households should receive SNAP payments retroactively once the government reopens, according to Oct. 24 guidance issued by USDA. People will not have to submit new applications if they were already receiving benefits, and they should continue to complete recertifications, submit reports and inform their local SNAP offices about changes in household circumstances or income.

But there are questions surrounding how quickly benefits will be paid out .

​​“When a shutdown ends, coordinated actions must occur quickly to restore SNAP operations,” said Plata-Nino in an Oct. 24 statement.

States have to work with contractors to transmit lists of eligible households and their benefits, determine a schedule for payout, and decide whether benefits should be staggered to avoid overwhelming the systems.

Food pantries expect more demand ​

Local food pantries are also bracing for a surge in demand, especially during the upcoming holiday season. Not all say they get enough donations to meet the number of hungry households in need.

​​“The Food Bank and our pantry partners will do everything we can to help provide food to our neighbors in need, but the charitable food network was not designed to replace federal food assistance,” according to an Oct. 24 announcement from the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank.

States officials, too, have begun taking action to provide emergency hunger relief while federal funding is unavailable. Some have issued states of emergency and moved to authorize state funds for local food banks, but they, too, say the situation is not sustainable long-term.

A spokesperson for the USDA did not initially respond to questions from AARP about its shutdown plans.

​​​Other impacts on food stamps

​​During a shutdown, food retailers may not be able to renew their Electronic Benefits Transfer licenses if they expired during this time. That means they can’t accept SNAP benefits, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.

In addition, federal workers could be furloughed until a budget deal is reached, but the USDA said in last year’s guidance that a limited number of employees would be retained in order to continue operations and financial management of its nutrition programs.

State SNAP offices, which process new applications and benefit recertifications, would continue to operate as normal in the event of a shutdown. But states do rely on some federal support to administer SNAP, so certain customer service functions, such as issuing new cards, may be affected as the shutdown drags on.

​​As lawmakers remain at an impasse over federal funding, SNAP is just one of a number of critical services older adults rely on that are being impacted.

​​“Whether the government’s open or not, we’ll keep fighting to make sure that people can get the services that they need,” said Bill Sweeney, AARP’s senior vice president of government affairs.

Shutdown impact hard to predict

​In the past, some shutdowns have lasted just a few days, while others, like the one in 2018, went on for more than a month. During that period, SNAP benefits were issued early, but then there was a longer-than-usual gap before the next round of allotments was distributed.

​​This time, however, feels different, state leaders have said. The possible disruption of SNAP benefits has created heightened uncertainty about further delays.

Disruptions during the last shutdown contributed to “negative impacts to SNAP participants, including exacerbating food insecurity, burdening participants with additional stress and confusion, causing financial challenges, and eroding some participants’ faith in government,” according to one study published in Nutrients, an international, peer-reviewed journal.

Advocates argue that SNAP offers modest assistance that significantly helps meet basic nutritional needs and enhances health outcomes. But earlier this year, SNAP experienced steep cuts due to a sweeping policy and domestic spending bill signed by President Donald Trump on July 4. ​