Overview
- The Agriculture Department confirmed it will not issue November SNAP benefits on November 1 if the government shutdown persists, an unprecedented threat to monthly assistance.
- The administration declined to tap roughly $5–6 billion in contingency funds, and USDA says those reserves cannot legally cover regular benefits that total about $8 billion a month.
- States are rolling out stopgaps such as food-bank funding and Guard support—California, New York, Minnesota, Virginia and Nevada among them—but USDA has warned it will not reimburse state outlays.
- WIC support for women, infants and children is also at risk, with the National WIC Association requesting $300 million in emergency funds to keep services running into early November.
- USDA’s statement blamed Senate Democrats for the stalemate tied to Affordable Care Act subsidies, while state notices, including in New Jersey, warn November SNAP deposits may not arrive on time.