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November SNAP payments could be delayed due to ongoing government shutdown

The executive director of Feeding Indiana’s Hungry says the ongoing federal government shutdown could impact November payments through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Emily Weikert Bryant says millions of hungry Americans could go without access to the program.

“Every state is in a holding pattern,” she says. “There’s uncertainty for about $100 million worth of SNAP benefits that would go to nearly 600,000 recipients across the state of Indiana in the month of November.”

She tells Brownfield this could also create additional challenges for food banks trying to meet demand. 

“Food banks can’t place new orders for TEFAP, the Emergency Food Assistance Program, and CSFP, the Commodity Supplemental Food Program,” she says. “The storage and distribution funding is delayed for those programs as well. It slows the order and delivery of USDA foods that results in interrupted food delivery and distribution to individuals and families.”

Bryant says finding a solution to end the government shutdown will help restore stability across the food supply chain.

AUDIO: Emily Weikert Bryant, Feeding Indiana’s Hungry