SNAP Benefits at Risk of Halt Nov. 1

The federal government shutdown, now several weeks long, prompted the U.S. Department of Agriculture to announce SNAP benefits will not be issued on Nov. 1, putting roughly 41–42 million Americans at risk of losing monthly food assistance. USDA posted a message blaming Senate Democrats for the lapse and saying contingency funds will not be tapped, a stance that state officials and advocates dispute. Twenty-three state attorneys general, led by Michigan's AG, have demanded clarification, arguing the agency has not cited legal authority for halting payments and that emergency reserves exist. Local food banks, churches and relief groups — including FeedMore WNY, Mount Zion Restoration Church and World Central Kitchen — are preparing for spikes in demand while some states say they will try to keep benefits flowing. The USDA has told states to pause issuing November payments and warned they would not be reimbursed, a cutoff that threatens children, seniors and low-income families and could harm grocers and local economies unless Congress or the administration acts.