WWhen Stacey Smith, a state employee, arrived at work last Monday—the first day of work after food benefits expired amid the ongoing federal shutdown—she found a long line outside her office door. Elderly and disabled people were desperate for answers.
Some went grocery shopping without realizing their usual benefits were unavailable.
They quickly discovered that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Snap) benefits were suspended after… Trump administration said it would not pay benefits because of the shutdown, which would undermine the largest hunger-relief program in the United States.
“I had a client who came in and said they were afraid they would have to start eating cat food again because without benefits, Snap is all they can afford because they are on a fixed income,” said Smith, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 2882, who works as a technician for assistance programs, including Snap, in Providence, Rhode Island.
“This is what I leave work and go home and this is what I think about,” she said.
Nearly 42 million Americans rely on Snap. As benefits were suspended for the first time in the program's history, workers providing assistance to Snap recipients expressed serious concerns about how the move would impact low-income families and individuals. Food banks have been established throughout the country. climbing to keep up with the surge in demand.
After two court decisions, the Trump administration said this will only provide partial funding for Snap. Funding for the program ended on November 1.
Instant payments continue to be challenged in the courts. On Friday, the Trump administration filed an appeal to the Supreme Court of a lower court ruling requiring it to pay back the full amount of the aid. The appeal was granted provisionally by an emergency order.
Late Sunday, a federal appeals court in Boston ruled that benefits must be paid for November. However, the Trump administration was expected to appeal the decision, which was not expected to have immediate effect following the Supreme Court's decision, leaving the current status of the Snap program itself uncertain.
As the Trump administration fights Snap's funding, low-income families are scared, Smith said. As the holidays approach and schools close, breakfast and lunch provided during term time will no longer be available to children.
“Customers are coming in. They want to know when this will end. And we don't have an answer for them,” Smith said. “It's hard to look in the face of someone who tells you they can't feed their family and be able to try to steer them toward other avenues to try to get some food for their family. We have community food banks and we have food pantries, and they're already maxed out.”
Snap is funded by the federal government but run by state and local governments, and the Trump administration has already faced cuts. “It's more chaos for the states and their ability to solve all these other big program problems that they have and they're putting all their resources into it,” said a former USDA food and nutrition official who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation because they currently work for federal contractors. “States are really committed to providing these benefits. It's a lifeline for the 42 million people who receive the program. I see that commitment on their part, but it's really unprecedented.”
As the government shutdown drags on, Snap recipients are turning to government agencies in desperation for answers and help.
“We don't have any more information at this point than what's in the news right now,” said Misha Dancing Waters, a member of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 720 who has also worked as an economic support specialist in Dane County, Wisconsin, for the past nine years. “As far as Wisconsin is concerned, we have not even received partial Snap funding.
“We're giving out a lot of resources, and they're really just hitting all these food pantries. Places that could help are being hit so hard that they just can't meet the need.”
Suspending the scheme was “really punitive,” Waters added. “It's another way to take benefits away from people… These are really scary times. There's so much up in the air. People don't really have the ability to plan or prepare.”
The USDA, which oversees Snap's benefits, was contacted for comment. memowhich said the “maximum deduction” for households was reduced to 50% in November “due to limited federal funding” and “rulings from two courts.”
If the shutdown continues and Snap's funding is not restored, Waters said he fears the situation will get worse very quickly.
“I think we're going to see things get even worse in the next month if we don't change the quarantine situation and fix the health insurance and food situation. People need these basic things just to survive,” she said. “We are using our country's poorest and most vulnerable as pawns in a political game, and that is unacceptable at any level. It is not okay for us to deprive people of basic things like food and health care.”
