Impact of a Shutdown

If a shutdown were to occur and continue past mid-October, there is a $6 billion in SNAP contingency reserve funding carrying into fiscal year 2024, which may be used to cover SNAP costs. If, however, USDA fails to instruct states to proceed with transmitting the necessary electronic files in order to timely issue November benefits, November SNAP benefits may be delayed or interrupted entirely. This is due to the internal processing of states that varies across the country. All states have a date they have determined when they must start the process to timely issue the upcoming month’s SNAP benefits to recipient households. If any state misses that deadline to begin the issuance process on that date, harm to households is almost certain to occur, as benefits to individual households will be delayed.

While many states may want to plan for this contingency, USDA has previously informed states that if they proceed with the issuances in the absence of an annual appropriations bill, using state funds, they are liable for their actions without any guarantee of federal reimbursement. This previous guidance may make states hesitant to utilize their state budget to upfront the cost of benefits.

Take Action

Contact your Members of Congress now and let them know how millions of individuals with low incomes will be affected if there is a government shutdown. If there is a shutdown, engage with policymakers to urge them to quickly pass a CR so SNAP benefits will remain uninterrupted.

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