SNAP funding expiration set to hit 40 million people

More than 40 million low-income Americans who rely on food assistance could soon receive reduced aid — or no aid at all — toward grocery expenses.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is warning that it may withhold billions of dollars in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) contingency funding — money already designated by Congress for emergencies — if the government shutdown continues into November.

Experts estimate there are $5–6 billion in the contingency account. That amount is not enough to cover the roughly $8 billion in SNAP benefits scheduled for next month, but it would allow for partial payments to help low-income households pay for food.

However, guidance released by USDA on Friday says the agency will not use those contingency funds to issue SNAP benefits if the shutdown extends beyond October 31 — a move that appears intended to increase pressure on Senate Democrats to back a GOP spending bill to reopen the government.

According to a memo first obtained by Axios, USDA argues that the contingency funds can only be used for unexpected emergencies, such as natural disasters, not a shutdown caused by political conflict.

“The contingency fund is a source of funds for contingencies, such as the Disaster SNAP program … for individuals in disaster areas, including natural disasters like hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods, that can come on quickly and without notice,” the memo states.

The memo contradicts USDA’s earlier shutdown plan released this year, which said the department was legally obligated to issue SNAP benefits even during a shutdown.

That policy — now removed from USDA’s website — said that Congress clearly intended for SNAP to continue, noting that the program has multi-year contingency funds available to cover state administrative costs so states can continue operations.

USDA secretary Brooke Rollins has recently signaled the shift, saying the responsibility lies with Senate Democrats to vote to end the shutdown if they want the funds released.

“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,” Rollins told reporters.

Democrats and SNAP advocates are sharply criticizing the policy reversal, stating the law is clear:
USDA must use the contingency funds — and should have acted earlier to ensure benefits don’t lapse.