the longest one US government shutdown is overstate officials said Thursday that they are working quickly to provide full SNAP food benefits to millions of people, but it could take up to a week for some people to receive delayed aid payments.
back and forth series of court decisions And a policy shift from President Donald Trump’s administration means November benefits will be distributed in a patchwork manner. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Some states were already disbursing full SNAP benefits, but by the time the government shutdown ended late Wednesday, about two-thirds of states were dispensing only partial benefits or no benefits at all, according to an Associated Press tally.
Federal food programs provide food to about 42 million people in low-income households, or about 1 in 8 Americans. They receive an average of about $190 per person per month, but that doesn’t necessarily cover the full cost of a typical month’s groceries.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which runs the program, said in an email Wednesday that funds could be available “within 24 hours in most states once the government reopens.” But officials did not say whether that schedule applied to when the funds would be made available to states or loaded onto debit cards used by beneficiaries.
Gov. Patrick Morrissey said Thursday that West Virginia, which does not issue SNAP benefits, should provide full November benefits to all recipients by Friday.
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The Illinois Department of Human Services, which previously issued partial benefits in November, said Thursday it is “working to fully restore SNAP benefits.” But it won’t happen right away.
“We expect the remaining benefit payments to be made over the next few days starting tomorrow,” the department said in a statement. “All SNAP recipients will receive their full November benefits by November 20.”
Colorado announced late Wednesday that it would switch from partial benefits to full SNAP benefits. Funds could begin loading onto electronic benefit transfer cards as early as Thursday, Gov. Jared Polis and the state Department of Human Services said.
The Missouri Department of Human Services, which issued some SNAP benefits on Tuesday, said Thursday it is awaiting further guidance from the Department of Agriculture on how to issue SNAP benefits for the remainder of November, but will act quickly once it receives it.
Suspension of SNAP payments caused stress for some families
Delays in SNAP payments have further complicated the situation for Lee Harris’ family since his spouse was laid off several months ago.
Harris, 34, said her family in North Little Rock, Ark., received help from the temple and received food left by someone who was traveling. Because of that help and knowing that other families had more needs, they stopped stopping at the food pantry they used to use from time to time.
Despite missing their SNAP payments this week, they and their three daughters have been able to maintain a near-normal diet. However, they still experience stress and anxiety.
“We don’t know a clear end,” Harris said, “and we don’t know how much we need to expand what we have in the pantry.”
Federal law funds SNAP for one year
USDA told states on October 24th: it will not provide funding November SNAP benefits during government shutdown. A number of Democratic-led states have filed lawsuits seeking to restore funding.
after the judge’s decision The Trump administration will need to tap into reserves to fund SNAP, and the administration has said it will fund up to 65% of its regular allocation. Then, after a judge ordered full benefits to be paid, some states rushed to load SNAP benefits onto debit cards during a one-day grace period before the Supreme Court put the order on hold Friday.
Meanwhile, other states moved forward with providing partial benefits, while others did not provide any benefits while awaiting further guidance from the Department of Agriculture on the situation.
Amid the uncertainty surrounding federal SNAP funding, some states are using their own funds to provide direct assistance or additional funding to SNAP recipients. non-profit food bank.
The U.S. Government Reopening Act provides full SNAP benefits not only for November, but also for the remainder of the federal fiscal year through next September.
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Associated Press writers John O’Connor in Springfield, Illinois; John LaVey of Charleston, West Virginia; and Colleen Slevin in Denver contributed to this report.
