Some states in the United States have announced that they will use funds from other programs to support the continuation of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) within their borders in response to the latest decision by the federal government to suspend the provision of this benefit due to the shutdown. However, these funds will eventually run out, so the question of how long SNAP can be sustained has become a focus of concern for low-income families.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced that due to the ongoing government shutdown, federal food assistance will not be distributed in November. This will leave over 40 million people who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as the food stamp program, without their existing benefits.
However, some states have stated that they will use funds from another federal assistance program – the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) – to provide SNAP benefits or provide additional support to food banks to address the current crisis.
Similar to SNAP, WIC is overseen by the U.S. Department of Agriculture but managed by state governments. WIC provides food assistance and other services to low-income families with pregnant women, newborns, or children under the age of 5. According to the National WIC Association (NWA), nearly 7 million people nationwide receive WIC benefits.
Originally projected to run out of funds in early October, WIC received a $300 million subsidy from the revenue generated by new tariff measures implemented by the Trump administration to sustain benefits for this month. However, this funding may also not last long.
Some states have already indicated that they will fill this funding gap themselves to ensure that WIC benefits can continue to be provided at least in the short term. These states include Connecticut, Nevada, New York, Hawaii, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Oregon, Wyoming, Oklahoma, California, Utah, Minnesota, Washington, and Wisconsin.
Officials from Colorado, Ohio, and North Carolina have expressed less optimistic statements, either not mentioning whether WIC programs can continue into November after being maintained in October, or failing to address whether the program can continue beyond early November.
According to data from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a progressive think tank in the United States, in the 2024 fiscal year, at least 5% of residents in each state and the District of Columbia received SNAP benefits.
However, there is a significant disparity in the percentage of residents receiving SNAP benefits across states, with New Mexico having the highest proportion at 21% of the total population, followed by the District of Columbia at 20%, Louisiana and Oregon at 18%, and Oklahoma at 17%.
Rounding out the top ten states are Massachusetts at 16%, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, and Pennsylvania at 15%.
(Based on reporting from The Hill)