How a Government Shutdown Could Impact Food Assistance

Millions of older adults receive SNAP benefits. A prolonged shutdown could cause disruptions

Molly Snow,

AARP

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Published September 25, 2025

the capitol with a bag of food and receipts

AARP (Getty Images, 3)

As Congress stares down the barrel of a possible government shutdown on Sept. 30, beneficiaries who receive food aid under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are not expected to experience delays in getting their benefits — at least not immediately.

Officially, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which administers SNAP, said in its 2024 guidance that “core programs of the nutrition safety net” will continue during a lapse in federal appropriations, subject to the availability of funding.

But if the shutdown drags on for an extended period, SNAP funding could be depleted, potentially delaying food aid for however long it takes lawmakers to reach an agreement. SNAP supports more than 11 million adults 50-plus. On average, older adults receive about $6 per day in SNAP benefits, also sometimes called food stamps (the name varies by state).

A spokesperson for the agency did not immediately respond to questions about updates to its plans for this year.

If funding for the program does expire, the USDA typically 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, so October benefits would be routed to states for payout by the time a shutdown occurs.

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During a shutdown, food retailers would not be able to renew their Electronic Benefit Transfer licenses if they expired during that time. That means they would not be able to 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, might be impacted if a shutdown is prolonged or more federal staff members are furloughed.

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As lawmakers remain at an impasse over federal funding, SNAP is just one of a number of critical services older adults rely on that could be affected by a lengthy government shutdown.

“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 impacts hard to predict

The duration of a shutdown is 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.

Those disruptions 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.

On Sept. 19, House lawmakers passed an extension that would have punted the funding deadline to November, but the Senate failed to approve the measure or pass its own version.

Lawmakers now have until midnight on Sept. 30 to pass another continuing resolution or a full budget before the current stopgap that has been keeping federal programs running expires. The 2026 fiscal year begins Oct. 1. 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.

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Molly Snow is a writer for AARP covering advocacy issues and state news. She also writes AARP's Today's Tips podcast. She previously worked at other news outlets, including Federal Times, McClatchy and Gannett.