NEWNow you can listen to Fox News articles!
Millions of Americans who rely on the nation's largest food program are bracing for uncertainty as ongoing… government shutdown threatens to deprive them of benefits.
Funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), a lifeline for low-income households, is set to expire Saturday, ending support more than 40 million Americans. The program's looming failure underscores how political gridlock in Washington could spill over into kitchen tables and grocery aisles across the country.
FOOD TAMPONS FOR 42 MILLION AMERICANS AT RISK AS SHUTDOWN PROLONGS
SNAP recipients represent a broad cross-section of the nation's population, from working families to retirees and those facing economic hardship. Benefits vary based on income, family size and basic living expenses, which determine both eligibility and benefit amounts.
About 41.7 million Americans, or one in eight households, relied on SNAP each month in 2024, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
That same year, federal spending on SNAP totaled $99.8 billion, with payments averaging about $187 per participant per month, according to the USDA.
In FY 2023, nearly 30% of all SNAP households reported being employed and receiving a paycheck. More than half of families with children receiving SNAP had at least one working family member.
In addition to SNAP benefits, 61% of participants received income from government assistance programs such as Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or public assistance.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION WARNS 42 MILLION AMERICANS COULD LOSE FOOD TAMPONS AS SHOTDOWN PROLONGES
Overall, adults ages 18 to 59 made up the largest share of SNAP recipients at 42%, followed by children at 39% and seniors at 19%, highlighting the program's role in supporting both the working poor and the most vulnerable.
The USDA has warned that if the shutdown continues beyond early November, states may have to delay or even suspend SNAP benefits. Some governors are already preparing emergency plans, although federal law leaves them little flexibility without new funding from Congress.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
A pair of federal judges ruled Friday that the administration must release all or part of November's food stamps.
The Trump administration previously warned that SNAP funding would end on November 1 due to the ongoing government shutdown. (Daniel Acker/Bloomberg/Getty Images)
USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins confirmed this directive during a press conference, noting: “The USDA has a reserve fund, but that reserve fund, by the way, does not even cover half of the $9.2 billion needed for the November SNAP program. And it can only come if the main program is funded.”
Alex Miller and Elizabeth Elkind of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.
