Overview
- USDA told agencies SNAP is funded only through October and to hold November issuance files, warning it cannot guarantee full benefits for roughly 42 million people.
- Texas says benefits will not be issued if the shutdown continues past Oct. 27, California warns of delays if government doesn’t reopen by Thursday, and Pennsylvania has already halted some payments since Oct. 16.
- Agency reserves are reported near $6 billion versus about $8 billion needed for November, and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said the program could run out of money by Nov. 1.
- The White House shifted tariff revenue to sustain WIC temporarily, but no comparable stopgap has been applied to SNAP, and states including Illinois say they cannot backfill benefits.
- Food banks report preparing for a surge in need in places like Philadelphia and Detroit, as new SNAP work requirements taking effect Nov. 1 add eligibility and communication challenges for states.