Government Shutdown Threatens Food Stamp Benefits for Millions

Strategic Insights -

A potential government shutdown could leave millions of low-income people without access to food stamps, with 42 million individuals at risk of severe disruptions to their benefits. The Agriculture Department has warned that it will run out of funds to cover the program's costs in two weeks, with nearly 42 million people participating in the program in May, receiving an average of $188 in benefits. Nutrition policy experts have pointed to several possible contingency plans, but it remains unclear how the program will be funded beyond a contingency fund of about $6 billion.

Key Takeaways:

  • A government shutdown could leave 42 million low-income people without access to food stamps, with severe disruptions to their benefits.
  • The Agriculture Department will run out of funds to cover the program's costs in two weeks, with a contingency fund of about $6 billion.
  • Nutrition policy experts have suggested several possible contingency plans, including reducing benefits for higher-income families.
  • The Agriculture Department could also tap into Section 32, a funding source previously used for the WIC program.
  • Several states have already warned that they cannot provide funding from their own coffers, including Illinois, New York, and Minnesota.

Statistics:

  • 42 million people participated in the food stamp program in May, the month with the latest available data.
  • The total cost of the program was about $8 billion in May.
  • Benefits have remained available through every shutdown in the last 20 years, according to Carolyn Vega of Share Our Strength.
  • The Agriculture Department could provide partial benefits for November using the contingency fund of about $6 billion.
  • Higher-income families could see their November benefits reduced by a larger percentage than lower-income ones.

Sources:

  • A letter from the Agriculture Department to state agencies, obtained by The New York Times.
  • Brooke L. Rollins, Agriculture Secretary, quoted in The New York Times.
  • Carolyn Vega, Associate Director of Policy Analysis for Share Our Strength, quoted in The New York Times.
  • David A. Super, Law Professor at Georgetown University, quoted in The New York Times.
  • The Food and Nutrition Service, USDA, quoted in The New York Times.