USDA Suspends November SNAP Benefits Amid Government Shutdown, 42 Million at Risk
On October 24, 2025, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) delivered a chilling message to millions of Americans: SNAP benefits for November 2025 would not be issued. The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), the USDA agency that runs the program, cited 7 CFR 271.7(b) — a regulation governing benefit issuance during funding gaps — as the legal basis for the suspension. The decision came as the federal government entered its third day of shutdown after Congress failed to pass a continuing resolution by midnight on September 30, 2025. Approximately 42 million Americans who rely on SNAP — the nation’s largest food assistance program — now face an uncertain future. No new benefits will hit electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards after October 31. The timing couldn’t be worse: with Thanksgiving just weeks away, families are already stretching budgets thin.
Why This Isn’t Just a Budget Dispute
This isn’t the first time SNAP funding has been threatened, but it’s the most consequential in decades. The program, once called food stamps, serves households based on income, household size, and expenses. It touches nearly every county in America. In 2024, the program distributed $108 billion across 41 million recipients. The monthly cost? Roughly $8 to $9 billion. That’s what’s now on the line. The USDA’s memo, obtained by Fox News Digital, bluntly stated: "The appropriation for regular benefits no longer exists." Translation: Congress didn’t fund it. So, even though there’s a $5 billion contingency fund sitting idle, the USDA says it’s legally off-limits. "It’s not a matter of choice," a senior FNS official told reporters on background. "It’s a matter of law. We can’t create money where none was appropriated."Blame Game in Washington
Republicans, including the Trump administration, point fingers squarely at Senate Democrats. "They refused a clean CR," said a White House aide in a leaked briefing. "They wanted to tack on ACA subsidies — that’s not how government funding works." But Democrats counter that the administration itself delayed negotiations for weeks, refusing to engage on broader budget priorities until after the fiscal year ended. "This shutdown wasn’t forced by one side," said Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) in a press statement. "It was engineered by inaction. And now, children, seniors, and veterans are paying the price." The irony? The program has already been gutted. President Trump’s "megabill" passed in March 2025 included $186 billion in cuts to nutrition programs over ten years — the largest reduction in SNAP funding since the 1996 welfare overhaul. Now, with the shutdown, those cuts are being amplified by immediate, total suspension.What This Means on the Ground
In Georgia, the Department of Human Services (DHS) issued a clear directive: households can still use SNAP benefits already loaded onto their EBT cards before November 1. But no new funds will be added. "We’re telling people to use what they have," said DHS spokesperson Latoya Henderson. "We’re also redirecting folks to food banks, churches, and community pantries." The ripple effect is already visible. In Atlanta, the Atlanta Community Food Bank reported a 300% spike in walk-in traffic since October 20. "We’re seeing families who’ve never needed help before," said executive director Michael Thompson. "Parents who work two jobs, but still can’t make rent and food stretch. They’re choosing between medicine and milk." Meanwhile, 260,000 retailers — from Walmart and Kroger to local farmers’ markets — are bracing for a collapse in SNAP-related sales. These businesses rely on federal reimbursements to stay solvent. One small grocer in rural Mississippi told a local paper, "If SNAP stops, I lose half my customers. And I can’t pay my suppliers. I’m looking at closing by December."What’s Next? A Race Against Time
The clock is ticking. November 1, 2025, is the hard deadline. No extension. No grace period. Even if Congress reaches a deal tomorrow, the USDA says it would take at least five business days to reprogram payment systems and reissue benefits — meaning many recipients would miss two full months of aid. That’s catastrophic for families living paycheck to paycheck.There’s one glimmer: state agencies like Georgia’s DFCS are still accepting new SNAP applications. But applicants are being warned: "Don’t expect a payment." The system is frozen. Applications are being held in a digital queue, not processed. When funding returns, they’ll be reviewed — but that won’t help someone who’s skipped meals this week.
Experts Warn of a Crisis Decades in the Making
Joel Berg, CEO of Hunger Free America, didn’t mince words. "If 42 million Americans and more than 260,000 retailers don’t receive $8 billion worth of grocery support in a week’s time, we are going to see the greatest hunger crisis since the Great Depression — and that’s not hyperbole. That’s just true." The last time the U.S. saw hunger on this scale was during the 2013 government shutdown, when SNAP benefits were delayed for two weeks. Back then, food banks saw a 40% surge in demand. This time? It’s a full month of lost benefits — on top of years of erosion in funding. The Feeding America network estimates that 12 million more people could fall into food insecurity by the end of December if benefits aren’t restored.Frequently Asked Questions
How does this affect families already on SNAP?
Families who received SNAP benefits before November 1, 2025, can still use those funds on their EBT cards until they’re depleted. But no new money will be added. For many, that means running out of food by mid-November. Single parents, elderly recipients, and households with children are especially vulnerable — they often rely on SNAP for 70% or more of their monthly food budget. Without new benefits, many will turn to food banks, which are already overwhelmed.
Why can’t the USDA use the $5 billion contingency fund?
The USDA says the contingency fund, authorized under 7 CFR 271.7(b), is only for supplementing benefits when Congress appropriates funds but they’re insufficient — not for covering full monthly payments when no appropriation exists. Legal experts confirm this interpretation: the fund was never designed as a bailout for congressional inaction. Democrats argue it’s a loophole, but the USDA maintains it’s a statutory limit, not a policy choice.
What’s the timeline for restoring benefits?
Even if Congress passes a funding bill tomorrow, the USDA estimates it would take five to seven business days to restart benefit issuance. That’s because EBT systems require reprogramming, testing, and coordination with state agencies and retailers. The earliest possible reissuance would be around November 10, 2025 — meaning recipients miss nearly two full months of aid. There’s no plan to retroactively compensate for the lost November benefits.
Are state agencies helping at all?
Yes — but their resources are stretched thin. Georgia’s DHS has partnered with 140 food pantries and 37 faith-based organizations to distribute emergency meals. Other states like California and New York have tapped into state-level emergency food reserves. But these are stopgaps. The average SNAP benefit is $176 per person per month. No state has enough funding to replace even 10% of that gap for 42 million people.
What happens to SNAP applicants who applied in October?
Applications submitted between October 1 and October 31, 2025, are being held in a pending queue. No interviews, no verification, no approvals — just storage. Once funding is restored, those applications will be processed in order. But applicants are being warned not to reapply — multiple submissions don’t speed things up and may trigger fraud flags. For many, this means weeks of uncertainty while they wait for a decision they can’t control.
Could this lead to long-term damage to the SNAP program?
Absolutely. Repeated funding threats erode public trust and increase stigma. Studies show that when SNAP benefits are delayed, recipients are less likely to reapply in future years — even when eligible. This shutdown could permanently disconnect millions from the program. Worse, if retailers see SNAP sales vanish for months, many may drop out of the program entirely, reducing access in rural and low-income areas. The infrastructure could collapse before the politics do.