No SNAP benefits to be issued Nov. 1, Trump administration notice says
The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Monday posted a notice that federal funds for food aid will not be distributed Nov. 1 through a program nearly 600,000 Kentuckians depend on for groceries.
The notice was posted after President Donald Trump’s administration rejected using $5 billion in contingency funds to provide partial benefits for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, into November while the government is shut down.
Those funds are instead being reserved for disaster relief that may be needed following Tropical Storm Melissa.
Both parties blame the other for the government shutdown that began Oct. 1 and is the second-longest in history.
Democrats and Republicans have been at odds all month over an appropriate budget to fund government services. The Senate reconvenes Monday afternoon after a bill to reopen the government failed to advance for a 12th time last week.
“Bottom line, the well has run dry,” the agriculture department notice said. “At this time, there will be no benefits issued November 1. We are approaching an inflection point for Senate Democrats.”
The federal government pays for the cost of SNAP benefits and splits the cost of administering aid with the states, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. When the government shutdown, some states pledged to keep funding food aid.
Last week, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said the state is facing a more than $305 million budget shortfall and is scrambling to find the funds to cover assistance programs that help cover daily household expenses, like SNAP.
“My hope is that the folks in D.C. will understand the American people are not a negotiating tool,” Beshear said Oct. 20. “Please hope the federal government can come to a solution.”
Federal data shows Kentucky SNAP benefits total more than $103 million per month. Kentucky does not have that money, Beshear said.
Lexington’s food banks have also been scrambling this month with increased calls for aid and a worry they won’t be able to meet the surge in demand at the end of October.
While the government has been shutdown, food banks have not been able to order food directly through the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Food pantries have reported an increase in demand from federal workers who have been out of work since Oct. 1. There are an estimated 17,000 federal workers in Central and Eastern Kentucky.
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