As the US Congress remains deadlocked over the nearly three-week government shutdown , millions of Americans who rely on food stamps may face the prospect of missing their November benefits, intensifying financial hardship .
Starting October 16, SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits in Pennsylvania will not be distributed until federal funding is restored, according to a notice on the state’s website. Similar warnings have been issued by New Jersey, Maryland, New York, and Texas.
The announcements follow an October 10 letter from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which oversees SNAP, warning state agencies that a continued lapse in appropriations would leave “insufficient funds” to pay full November benefits. The White House and USDA have declined to comment on the potential impact for the millions of Americans who depend on the program. Advocates, however, caution that the consequences could be severe.
“These are, for the most part, working individuals who still live paycheck to paycheck,” said Gina Plata-Nino, interim director for SNAP at the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC), a nonprofit focused on ending hunger.
How SNAP benefits are administered
Over 40 million Americans participate in SNAP, receiving an average of $187 per month on prepaid cards for groceries including produce, meat, and dairy. While federally funded by the USDA, states manage the program and set disbursement dates.
The process relies on a “delicate partnership of public and private entities,” FRAC explains. States send electronic case files of SNAP recipients to an electronic benefit transfer (EBT) vendor each month, allowing funds to be loaded onto recipients’ cards so they can shop.
The shutdown has disrupted this system. In its October 10 letter, the USDA instructed states to hold off on sending files to EBT vendors “until further notice,” creating the potential for delays or disruptions in November benefits.
Will shutdown end in coming weeks?Traders on prediction platforms Kalshi and Polymarket are wagering that the federal government shutdown could stretch to about six weeks, as partisan deadlock shows little sign of easing.
While these markets don’t provide formal forecasts, they offer a real-time glimpse into trader expectations. On Kalshi, traders currently anticipate the shutdown lasting roughly 44 days on average, Fox News reported.
Market data shows a 44% probability that the shutdown will extend until November 15, and roughly a one-in-three chance it drags past November 20. Total trading volume on the platform exceeds $12.7 million.
Polymarket traders are similarly predicting a mid-November end, with the largest share—about 44%—expecting the shutdown to conclude after November 16. Over $147,000 has been wagered on that outcome.
The federal government first closed at 12:01 am ET on October 1. Since 1976, the U.S. has experienced 20 shutdowns, with the longest lasting 34 days from December 2018 to January 2019 over a funding dispute for President Donald Trump’s border wall.
Starting October 16, SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits in Pennsylvania will not be distributed until federal funding is restored, according to a notice on the state’s website. Similar warnings have been issued by New Jersey, Maryland, New York, and Texas.
The announcements follow an October 10 letter from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which oversees SNAP, warning state agencies that a continued lapse in appropriations would leave “insufficient funds” to pay full November benefits. The White House and USDA have declined to comment on the potential impact for the millions of Americans who depend on the program. Advocates, however, caution that the consequences could be severe.
“These are, for the most part, working individuals who still live paycheck to paycheck,” said Gina Plata-Nino, interim director for SNAP at the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC), a nonprofit focused on ending hunger.
How SNAP benefits are administered
Over 40 million Americans participate in SNAP, receiving an average of $187 per month on prepaid cards for groceries including produce, meat, and dairy. While federally funded by the USDA, states manage the program and set disbursement dates.
The process relies on a “delicate partnership of public and private entities,” FRAC explains. States send electronic case files of SNAP recipients to an electronic benefit transfer (EBT) vendor each month, allowing funds to be loaded onto recipients’ cards so they can shop.
The shutdown has disrupted this system. In its October 10 letter, the USDA instructed states to hold off on sending files to EBT vendors “until further notice,” creating the potential for delays or disruptions in November benefits.
Will shutdown end in coming weeks?Traders on prediction platforms Kalshi and Polymarket are wagering that the federal government shutdown could stretch to about six weeks, as partisan deadlock shows little sign of easing.
While these markets don’t provide formal forecasts, they offer a real-time glimpse into trader expectations. On Kalshi, traders currently anticipate the shutdown lasting roughly 44 days on average, Fox News reported.
Market data shows a 44% probability that the shutdown will extend until November 15, and roughly a one-in-three chance it drags past November 20. Total trading volume on the platform exceeds $12.7 million.
Polymarket traders are similarly predicting a mid-November end, with the largest share—about 44%—expecting the shutdown to conclude after November 16. Over $147,000 has been wagered on that outcome.
The federal government first closed at 12:01 am ET on October 1. Since 1976, the U.S. has experienced 20 shutdowns, with the longest lasting 34 days from December 2018 to January 2019 over a funding dispute for President Donald Trump’s border wall.
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