Three dozen states, including New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware, are warning they will have to suspend Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits (SNAP) if the government shutdown continues to drag on.
SNAP development director Sasha Gersten-Paal has said there won’t be enough funds to send benefits to the roughly 42 million food stamp recipients next month.
However, the Trump Administration might be legally required to provide SNAP even during shutdown, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
Sharon Parrott, the Center’s director and a former Office of Management and Budget official, said in a statement that Trump’s administration could use a multibillion-dollar contingency reserve that exists to back up SNAP when funding is not sufficient.
“Speaking as a former OMB official, I know from experience that the federal government has the authority and the tools it needs during a shutdown to get these SNAP funds to families,” she said.
Here’s what to know:
Is SNAP ending?
Come Nov. 1, SNAP benefits in dozens of states will be at risk of being paused or delayed.
Many states, including New Jersey, California, Hawaii, Arkansas, Indiana, Mississippi, New York, Texas, Delaware, and Pennsylvania, have reportedly already started telling SNAP recipients that a halt in benefits is looming.
Juan Carlos Castillo is a New Jersey-based trending reporter for the USA Today Network. Find him on Twitter at _JCCastillo.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Dozens of states to face SNAP pause in November; is your state one?
