People who rely on the federal food assistance program might not receive their benefits for the month of November because of the ongoing government shutdown.

The USDA has warned states that if the shutdown persists, funding for the food assistance program will be unavailable next month.

As the government shutdown persists, funding for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits are at risk in states across the country. SNAP benefits, formerly known as food stamps, are funded by the Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Recipients who can’t document that they are exempt (for example, because of a disability), plus those who receive SNAP and work more than 20 hours a week, are some of the Americans that will no longer be eligible for the benefits come late 2025 or early 2026.

Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins asked the Trump administration to consider all potential options for continuing the country’s largest nutrition assistance program that is set to be paused next month due to the ongoing federal government shutdown.

SNAP benefits used to purchase food by nearly a half-million low-income New Mexicans are being used as a bargaining chip in the government shutdown.

Nearly half a million Nevadans could lose access to SNAP benefits if the government shutdown persists into November.

State officials say they have a contingency plan called the “Hawaii Relief Program” that would help at least a third of SNAP beneficiaries.