States Warn SNAP May Run Out by Nov. if Shutdown Lasts

States are warning that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits will run out by the end of October if the government shutdown continues.

"SNAP benefits for November won't be issued if the federal government shutdown continues past Oct. 27," Texas' Health and Human Services said on its website.

"The Department of Children, Youth, and Families has received notice from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Services that if the federal government shutdown continues into November, there will not be enough funds to pay November Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits," Minnesota's Department of Children, Youth and Families said Friday on its site.

"SNAP customers will not have access to any new food benefits starting on Nov. 1, 2025, unless the Trump administration and congressional Republicans reopen the government," Illinois' Department of Human Services said Thursday.

"SNAP is a 100% federally funded benefit, and the federal government withholding payments to the state would impact all 1.9 million recipients in Illinois."

West Virginia's Department of Human Services said it's "very likely" the shutdown would delay November benefits if Congress doesn't reopen the government "in the coming days."

SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, reached 41 million people nationwide in 2024.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins told reporters last week that SNAP would run out of money by Nov. 1.

"So you're talking about millions and millions of vulnerable families — of hungry families — that are not going to have access to these programs because of this shutdown," she said.

Yet the 20-day closure could end soon, White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett said Monday.

"I think the Schumer shutdown is likely to end sometime this week," Hassett said in an interview on CNBC, referring to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

Hassett, the director of the National Economic Council, said his "friends in the Senate" believed it was "bad optics for Democrats to open the government before the 'No Kings' rallies and that now there's a shot that this week things will come together."

"We've been basically hearing from moderates that, 'Look, we just can't do it in front of the "No Kings" rally.'"

"If that ends up not being true, then I think that the White House is going to have to look very closely, along with [White House Budget Director] Russ Vought, at stronger measures that we could take to bring it to the table."

• VA Sec. Collins to Newsmax: Dems Need to Open Up Government Now
• Longest Full Govt Shutdown Ever Hits Day 20