Overview
- USDA says funding will be available to most states within 24 hours of reopening, though deposits to recipients can take days depending on state processing and prior partial issuances.
- Roughly 42 million people were affected by the lapse, with about two-thirds of states issuing only partial benefits or none before the shutdown ended, according to an Associated Press tally.
- States are announcing schedules: West Virginia expects full November benefits by Friday, Illinois plans to complete by Nov. 20 after starting Friday, and Colorado began loading full payments Thursday.
- Food banks report record strain during the pause, including mobile pantries serving 800–900 households and localized surges as high as 1,800% in parts of West Virginia.
- Local retailers felt the shock, with some New York City grocers citing sales drops of up to 25%, even as the new law funds SNAP through September 2026.