--- title: Experts Issue Grave Warning as SNAP Benefits Set to Run Out description: Experts have warned that Americans face a "tough time" as food banks are unlikely to be able to meet the incoming demand. canonical: https://time.com/7328216/snap-benefits-food-stamps-halting-november-government-shutdown-impact/ author: Callum Sutherland article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2025-10-24T18:21:19.000Z article:modified_time: 2025-10-29T18:59:22.000Z article:section: Politics og:title: Experts Issue Grave Warning as SNAP Benefits Set to Run Out og:description: Food banks are unlikely to be able to meet the demand amid the government shutdown, experts tell TIME. og:url: https://time.com/7328216/snap-benefits-food-stamps-halting-november-government-shutdown-impact/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltace1bdf25f4b895d/6998cb0ba97fc01006a74d14/GettyImages-2215112408.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 6000 og:image:height: 3375 og:image:alt: Florida Charities Distribute Meals And Food To Floridians In Need og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Experts Issue Grave Warning as SNAP Benefits Set to Run Out twitter:description: Food banks are unlikely to be able to meet the demand amid the government shutdown, experts tell TIME. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltace1bdf25f4b895d/6998cb0ba97fc01006a74d14/GettyImages-2215112408.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 'A Man-Made Disaster': Food Banks and Experts Issue Grave Warning as SNAP Benefits Set to Run Out Amid Government Shutdown > Sponsored content. 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Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=ff297f06-29fb-4cc5-b14b-efc1304f8f14&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: As SNAP Benefits Set to Run Out Amid Government Shutdown, Democratic and Republican Lawmakers Blame Each Other [Watch (HLS stream): As SNAP Benefits Set to Run Out Amid Government Shutdown, Democratic and Republican Lawmakers Blame Each Other](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/ASMabTmy.m3u8) (3:37)  _Published 2025-10-29. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits are set to start halting on Nov. 1, the one-month anniversary of the government shutdown, unless the Republicans and Democrats come to an agreement and reopen the government. SNAP, a federal initiative administered by the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) under the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), provides vital assistance to low-income households, many of whom rely on the food stamps to purchase their weekly groceries._ by [Callum Sutherland](https://time.com/author/callum-sutherland/) ## Callum Sutherland Reporter Updated: Oct 29, 2025 6:59 PM UTCPublished: Oct 24, 2025 6:21 PM UTC Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits are set to start halting on Nov. 1, the one-month anniversary of the government shutdown, unless the Republicans and Democrats come to an agreement and reopen the government. SNAP, a federal initiative administered by the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) under the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), provides vital assistance to low-income households, many of whom rely on the food stamps to purchase their weekly groceries. by [Callum Sutherland](https://time.com/author/callum-sutherland/) ## Callum Sutherland Reporter Updated: Oct 29, 2025 6:59 PM UTCPublished: Oct 24, 2025 6:21 PM UTC Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program [(SNAP) benefits](https://time.com/7327270/will-snap-benefits-be-delayed-government-shutdown-food-stamps/) are set to start halting on Nov. 1, the one-month anniversary of the government shutdown, unless the Republicans and Democrats come to an agreement and reopen the government. SNAP, [a federal initiative](https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program) administered by the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) under the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), provides vital assistance to low-income households, many of whom rely on the food stamps to purchase their weekly groceries. "Bottom line, the well has run dry. At this time, there will be no benefits issued Nov. 1\. We are approaching an inflection point for Senate Democrats," reads a new notice from the Trump Administration on the USDA website. This echoes a statement the USDA put out last week.[](https://www.fns.usda.gov/) "The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Services has informed all states that there may be insufficient funds to pay November benefits through the federal SNAP Program," read a [statement](https://www.dhhs.nh.gov/programs-services/food-meals-assistance/snap-and-wic-federal-shutdown-information#:~:text=The%20US%20Department%20of%20Agriculture,Benefits%20Transfer%20%28EBT%29%20cards.) from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on Oct. 23\. "Beginning November 1, SNAP recipients may not be able to access any unused benefits on their Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards." As the [blame game between the Republicans and Democrats](https://time.com/7322235/government-shutdown-republican-democrat-lawmakers-react-blame-game/) stretches on during the shutdown, prompted by disagreements over spending and health care matters, each side is holding the other responsible for the looming halt to SNAP benefits. State governors across America have issued stark warnings to SNAP recipients, and some have taken action to ensure food aid continues during the federal shutdown. Virginia’s Gov. Glenn Youngkin of the Republican Party [declared](https://www.governor.virginia.gov/newsroom/news-releases/2025/october/name-1066131-en.html) a state of emergency on Oct. 23, in order “to provide emergency hunger relief for Virginians” ahead of benefits starting to run out from Nov. 1\. He went on to blame Congressional Democrats over the government stalemate. On the West Coast, California’s Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, [announced](https://x.com/CAgovernor/status/1980985047365931079) on Oct. 22 that his state is deploying[ ](https://x.com/TheCalGuard)the California Military “to quickly assist families whose federal food benefits are halted because of Donald Trump's government shutdown.” Various other states are also working on plans of action in order to prevent SNAP recipients from going hungry when the pre-existing federal funds stop flowing. It’s a dire situation, says Gina Plata-Nino, the interim director for SNAP at the Food Research & Action Center, a nonprofit that aims to “improve the nutrition, health, and well-being of people struggling against poverty-related hunger in the United States.” “SNAP plays a pivotal role for individuals and working Americans to ensure that they can put food on the table. While the program is supposed to be _supplemental_, for many families, it is their sole source of food,” Plata-Nino tells TIME. Plata-Nino emphasizes that many of the food stamp beneficiaries are dealing with reduced wages or have the responsibility of taking care of a family member. Therefore, she says, a loss of SNAP support could result in further strain on these households and have far-reaching implications, such as a decline in school performance for children or health concerns. “Folks \[will face\] really difficult choices between what they're able to afford,” warns Plata-Nino, sharing her fear that people may begin skipping meals as a result. **Read More**: [_Will SNAP Benefits Be Delayed Due to the Government Shutdown? Newsom Accuses Trump of ‘Endangering Lives’_](https://time.com/7327270/will-snap-benefits-be-delayed-government-shutdown-food-stamps/) Smaller convenience stores, which make up the majority of grocery shops that accept SNAP credits, are also likely to feel the pinch, as Plata-Nino notes: “They operate on such a small margin that if 50% of your client base doesn't show up for the week, it's going to hit their own margin rates.” Plata-Nino is also concerned about the impact this will have on the food banks that will have to pick up the slack when they are already struggling to cope with high demands, especially amid reports of [grocery store prices increasing](https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/oct/16/inflation-economic-pessimism-poll). “They're supposed to help with emergencies, they're not supposed to constantly step up when the federal government refuses to act,” says Plata-Nino. “It's a tough time for Americans at the moment, and when the Administration has the tools to stop this man-made disaster, it should do so, particularly as Thanksgiving is round the corner.”  A farmers market that accepts Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) tokens through SNAP in Takoma Park, Maryland, on July 9, 2025. Al Drago—Getty Images For Weld Food Bank in Colorado, the possibility of SNAP delays is daunting and has staffers concerned for the future. “For every meal that a food bank provides, SNAP provides nine. We don’t have the capacity to bear that burden because we can barely do the one meal now,” Weston Edmunds, Weld Food Bank's director of marketing and communications, tells TIME. Edmunds says that Weld Food Bank currently serves around 1,700 people daily. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and Lt. Gov. Dianne Primavera's Administration is aiming to procure up to [$10 million](https://governorsoffice.colorado.gov/governor/news/polis-primavera-administration-takes-action-help-feed-hardworking-colorado-families-amid) "in General Fund revenue" to provide emergency food bank support. But Edmunds fears these stopgap funds, once distributed among the counties, are merely a “drop in the bucket.” “We will be there to serve our community. It just will not be in the way that we want to. Our wonderful volunteers are being stretched so thin. We’re doing a week’s worth of work in a day,” says Edmund of his team’s current efforts. Catherine D’Amato, president and CEO of The Greater Boston Food Bank, says that the pressure on food banks and pantries in Massachusetts will "undoubtedly" increase if the government shutdown stretches on. “This is just a pile-on of hurt for people that are poor. It’s more loss and uncertainty for them. They have no other place to go, unless they have family and friends with extensive savings,” says D’Amato. “Hunger is a non-partisan issue. There are people that are hungry… You're attacking one of the most effective programs to feed Americans that need help, and using it to make a point in a fight around a shutdown,” D’Amato says of the government's inaction. Meanwhile, Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley of the Republican Party has introduced two bills to fund food stamps and farm programs during the government shutdown. The “[Keep SNAP Funded Act of 2025](https://www.hawley.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Keep-SNAP-Funded-Act.pdf)" would provide funds from the Treasury to the USDA in order to cover SNAP benefits that American households would otherwise miss out on, should the shutdown continue into November. The "[Fund Farm Programs Act](https://www.hawley.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Fund-Our-Farmers-Act.pdf)" proposes allocating "appropriate funds to ensure uninterrupted services for farmers." Hawley said he intends to ask for unanimous consent to either pass the measures or get a vote scheduled. Plata-Nino argues that a SNAP-related bill shouldn’t need to be the solution. “All of that would take time, but the USDA can act now. It’s a matter of choice,” she argues. “They know how much money they have in the bank... Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins just has to act fairly soon, because the process takes a while in the backend for payment to post.” In a statement issued to TIME about the looming halt to SNAP benefits, the USDA placed the blame on the Democratic Party. “We are approaching an inflection point for Senate Democrats. Continue to hold out for the Far-Left wing of the party or reopen the government so mothers, babies, and the most vulnerable among us can receive timely WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) and SNAP allotments,” said a spokesperson. Looking ahead, Edmunds of the Weld Food Bank is deeply worried for households that typically receive SNAP benefits. “As a human and as a father, I’m very concerned for the parents that have to tell their kids that they didn’t get their SNAP,” he says, adding that November and December are usually the busiest time for food banks due to Thanksgiving and Christmas. “Families are already seeing their budgets stretched so thin, just because they want to provide an even semi-okay holiday for their kids.” ## Transcript [00:00] And now, for the first time in history, [00:03] a President Donald Trump is [00:06] refusing to fund Snap during a shutdown. [00:09] 42 million Americans, hungry children, [00:14] middle class families who have just someone's lost a job, [00:19] veterans, senior citizens who [00:21] struggle to pay for their food. [00:23] All of these people will lose [00:26] their Snap benefits not because the money's gone, [00:30] not because it's not permitted. [00:32] Because Donald Trump ordered it stopped. [00:37] Donald Trump is a vindictive politician [00:40] and a heartless man. [00:42] We know that there'll be 60 votes for that. [00:45] Why aren't they calling it up? [00:47] They're not calling it up because the house [00:50] isn't here to pass it. That's the way it works. [00:52] The house would have to come here. [00:54] They probably would have to vote on the Epstein files. [00:56] But they're choosing to let kids go [00:58] hungry instead of having to vote on the Epstein files. [01:01] There's no doubt about it. [01:02] They have been out for six weeks on vacation. [01:05] Just think, if they have all this money for [01:07] Argentina and all this money for other things, [01:10] they have enough money to keep [01:12] funding snap and they know it. [01:14] The Democrats are coming near now [01:16] to a cliff that they will not be able to turn back from. [01:19] And it's of great concern to everyone [01:21] who's paying attention to all this. [01:23] You will note that more air traffic controllers and [01:26] TSA agents and park rangers [01:28] are about to go without a paycheck. [01:31] You've got families and children that rely upon [01:34] Snap benefits that are going to go [01:35] hungry here at the end of the week. [01:38] You've got more critical workers, by the way, [01:40] including the people who are the stewards of [01:42] our nuclear defense arsenal, [01:45] who are forced to stay at home [01:47] as the government remains closed. [01:49] The Democrats own every one of these consequences, [01:52] and the Democrats have some soul searching to do. [01:54] Are they going to continue to do that, [01:55] or are they going to run from the far [01:57] left and do their bidding, [01:58] or are they going to do right by [01:59] millions of federal workers in [02:01] the American people who continue to [02:03] show up to work daily without pay? [02:06] Are they going to do right and reopen [02:07] the government so that those people are taken care of, [02:10] instead of the Marxist far left base in their party? [02:13] That is the question. [02:15] And we pray that Senate Democrats [02:16] come to their senses before [02:17] the situation becomes too dire on Saturday. [02:21] This gets very real. [02:23] Snap benefits will stop flowing to all those who need it. [02:26] You're talking about tens of millions [02:28] of Americans at risk of going hungry. [02:31] If the Senate Democrats can continue [02:32] this gambit instead of [02:34] taking simple vote to fund the government, [02:36] which Senate Democrats have now [02:38] had more than a dozen opportunities to do, [02:40] Democrat attorneys general are suing [02:43] the federal government to try to [02:45] compel Snap benefits to flow, [02:47] despite the government being closed, [02:49] and despite the fact that there is no money to do that, [02:52] Congress hasn't authorized that [02:53] the contingency fund for [02:55] that was something they batted down. [02:57] When the Democrats decided to vote against [02:59] the CR and shut the government for Democrats, [03:02] there's a much easier option on the table. [03:04] Just go do your job and fully fund all these programs. [03:08] We have very important work to do here, [03:09] and that's why we're pleading with [03:11] them, not Chuck Schumer. [03:12] Look, I think Chuck Schumer and [03:13] Hakeem Jeffries are irredeemable at this point. [03:15] I don't think they'll be able to tell in [03:18] New York and his disciples [03:19] that they voted to open the government. [03:20] I've given up on the leadership. [03:22] So we're trying to appeal to [03:23] a handful of moderates or centrists who care [03:26] more about the American people and will put [03:28] the people's interests over their [03:30] own and do the right thing in the Senate. [03:32] I mean, there's no point [03:33] in me sitting down with Chuck Schumer. 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