- Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, New York, and Texas have recently issued updates regarding Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, warning that there may be suspension of food stamps coming in November. Pennsylvania’s Department of Human Services issued a notice stating that, “November 2025 SNAP benefits cannot be paid… [and] Starting October 16, SNAP benefits will not be paid until the federal government shutdown ends and funds are released to [the state].”
- These announcements come after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which oversees the SNAP program, issued a letter to state agencies stating that, “if the current lapse in appropriations continues, there will be insufficient funds to pay full November SNAP benefits for approximately 42 million individuals across the Nation.” The US government has been shut down now for three weeks.
- In response, the United Conference of Mayors (USCM) issued its own letter to USDA, calling on USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins to use all available resources to avoid disruptions to SNAP, including the SNAP contingency fund and any additional administrative resources. Additionally, in a joint letter to USDA, 46 US senators urged Secretary Rollins to “release the billions of dollars at its disposal to ensure [SNAP] benefits continue in November.”