Food Stamps Threatened by Shutdown

SNAP benefits are in jeopardy as the funding fight in Washington drags on. The government shutdown, if prolonged, will result in a lack of funding for the program.

The Department of Agriculture has not commented on the amount of reserve funding the program has and is reportedly weighing options for SNAP. Politico reports Congress generally builds in a $3 billion cushion for the program, and it’s estimated to need more than $4 billion a month. Other experts suggest USDA has closer to $6 billion in reserve funding for SNAP.

Roughly 39 million people depend on the program each month. However, if past government shutdowns provide an outlook for the current shutdown, SNAP should continue without interruption. Despite shutdowns, Congress has never let funding for SNAP run out to the point where the program defaulted on benefits.

Source:  NAFB News