- Federal shutdown risks halting November SNAP and WIC benefits, threatening food security for millions nationwide.
- USDA silence and limited contingency funds mean states cannot reliably cover an $8 billion November SNAP bill.
- Food banks and governors scramble with emergency measures, but gaps could force families to skip meals.
WASHINGTON — As the federal government shutdown stretches into its fourth grueling week, a wave of stark warnings from across the country has left millions of low-income families bracing for the possibility of empty pantries come November.
More than two dozen states, from coastal powerhouses like California and New York to heartland stalwarts like Minnesota and Texas, have posted urgent alerts on their websites, signaling that benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)—better known as food stamps—and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) could grind to a halt without fresh funding from Washington.
The crisis, now the second-longest shutdown in U.S. history, stems from a bitter partisan impasse over spending priorities, with Democrats digging in to protect expiring health insurance subsidies under the Affordable Care Act and some Republicans pushing for deeper cuts to social programs.
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The fallout couldn’t hit harder for the roughly 41 million SNAP participants and 7 million WIC recipients who depend on these lifelines for basic groceries.
“Families are going to be hurt by this should it continue, at a time we know families are struggling to make ends meet,” Minerva Delgado, director of coalitions and advocacy at the Alliance to End Hunger, told reporters this week.
October’s benefits, pre-loaded through contingency measures, have so far held steady.
But as the clock ticks toward November, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has gone radio silent on next steps, leaving states scrambling.
On October 10, the agency instructed officials not to forward recipient data to electronic benefit transfer (EBT) processors—a routine step for monthly distributions—without offering a clear workaround.
This unusual blackout has forced states to confront hard realities: without federal dollars, many can’t tap emergency reserves to cover the shortfall.
States Getting Hit the Hardest
In Texas, home to 3.5 million SNAP users, the Health and Human Services Commission laid it out bluntly: “SNAP benefits for November won’t be issued if the federal government shutdown continues past Oct. 27.”
Pennsylvania’s Department of Human Services went further, pinning the blame squarely on Capitol Hill: “Because Republicans in Washington DC failed to pass a federal budget, causing the federal government shutdown, November 2025 SNAP benefits cannot be paid.”
Similar notices have popped up in Oregon, where the Department of Human Services urged recipients to “familiarize themselves with the free food resources in their community and to make a plan for what they will do if they do not receive their food benefits in November on time.”
The ripple effects are already being felt at the grassroots level, where food banks—already battered by this year’s federal funding trims under the Trump administration—are buckling under record demand.
Jim Conwell, vice president of communications for the Greater Chicago Food Depository, painted a grim picture: “This could get really bad. We’re already serving more people than before COVID.”
Across the Midwest and beyond, pantries report shelves thinning out as inflation-bitten families line up earlier and longer.
In Arvada, Colorado, volunteers at the Community Table food pantry have watched lines swell since the shutdown began, with families skipping meals to stretch what little they have left.
Even states eyeing workarounds are hitting walls. Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, declared a state of emergency on Thursday—the first in the nation—to unlock local funds and keep aid flowing for over 850,000 residents.
“More than 850,000 Virginia residents would feel the impact if SNAP food benefits run out on November 1,” Youngkin said, emphasizing the move would bridge the gap until federal spigots reopen.
But in Massachusetts, Democratic Governor Maura Healey voiced frustration over limited options, stating, “The state funding can’t begin to match what the federal government provides.”
Her state, like others, plans to suspend benefits November 1 if no deal materializes.
California, meanwhile, is mobilizing on multiple fronts. Governor Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday he’d deploy the National Guard and fast-track $80 million to bolster food banks statewide, a direct response to the shutdown’s squeeze on programs serving millions.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul didn’t mince words in slamming the USDA’s directives, stating, “So you’re talking about millions and millions of vulnerable families, of hungry families that are not going to have access to these programs because of this shutdown.”
The Impact Could Lead to Starvation and Economic Turmoil
The math behind the mayhem is stark. SNAP’s November tab is projected at around $8 billion, but the USDA’s contingency kitty sits at just $5 billion—enough for partial coverage at best, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins didn’t sugarcoat it during a NewsNation interview Tuesday: SNAP benefits would “go away” without a congressional deal by month’s end.
Earlier this month, the administration diverted $300 million in tariff revenue to shore up October’s WIC payments, but no such lifeline has been floated for November.
Georgia Machell, CEO of the National WIC Association, warned that without it, the program could face a “historic disruption to WIC services,” endangering nutrition for pregnant women, new mothers, and toddlers.
Advocates like Chris Bernard, CEO of Hunger Free Oklahoma, foresee a domino effect: more skipped meals, mounting utility bills, and families dipping into savings they don’t have.
“If benefits are not delivered, more people would skip meals or make other sacrifices… to keep their families fed,” Bernard said.
Anti-hunger groups from coast to coast, including the Food Research & Action Center, are ramping up outreach, urging recipients to stockpile non-perishables where possible and connect with local resources.
Yet, as Gina Plata-Nino, acting director of SNAP at the center, put it, “Food stamps provide critical assistance to families who need the help to be able to eat.”
This isn’t uncharted territory—the 2018-2019 shutdown flirted with similar disruptions before fizzling out—but the stakes feel higher now.T
he Trump administration’s earlier moves, like slashing food bank support and imposing stricter SNAP work requirements, have left the safety net threadbare.
As one senior USDA official noted, the looming cutoff marks an “inflection point for Democrats,” though both parties continue finger-pointing amid stalled talks.
For now, the onus falls on lawmakers to broker peace before November 1.
Until then, families like those queuing at Chicago’s food depots or Miami’s crisis pantries wait—and wonder—how long they can hold out.
Also Read: Republicans Face Growing Backlash as Voters Blame Them for Govt. Shutdown
