A federal government shutdown could halt food assistance for nearly half a million Arizona households in November.
The funding freeze for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, would impact about 855,000 low-income Arizonans.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has stated that funding for November benefits will not be available if the shutdown continues.
Nearly a half-million Arizona households will go without government food assistance if the federal government shutdown drags into November, Arizona officials said.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP or food stamps, is the latest government program to be hit by the shutdown, which stretched to 24 days on Oct. 24.
The funding freeze could impact some 855,000 low-income Arizonans who rely on monthly federal assistance to buy food.
Senate lawmakers remained at an impasse in the federal funding battle. Democrats are pushing to extend expiring health insurance subsidies, while Republicans are seeking to fund the government at current levels and revisit the health care issue at another time, if at all.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the SNAP program, said that funding will not be available for November benefits. State agencies distribute the funds.
“Approved participants of the SNAP program will be unable to collect November benefits until federal funding is released to states,” Arizona Department of Economic Security spokesperson Brett Bezio said.
What is SNAP?
SNAP, also called food stamps, is a federal program that provides low-income families with monthly benefits to afford healthy food.
Some 42 million Americans rely on SNAP to buy food each month, according to the USDA.
According to the USDA, people who are eligible for SNAP include those who work for low wages, work part time, are unemployed, are homeless, receive welfare or other public assistance payments, or are elderly or disabled and have a low income.
The nation’s first food stamp program was established in the 1930s, after the Great Depression left many without money to buy food. Decades later, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Food Stamp Act of 1964 into law.
How many people receive SNAP benefits in Arizona?
Hundreds of thousands of Arizonans use SNAP benefits each month. The funds are distributed by the Arizona Department of Economic Security.
In September, more than 433,000 Arizona households received SNAP benefits, Bezio said. That amounted to 855,000 individuals, including 347,000 children, who received assistance.
DES will continue to accept and process applications for SNAP during the shutdown, Bezio noted.
How much do SNAP benefits cost?
Federal SNAP spending was $99.8 billion in 2024, according to the USDA.
The Arizona Department of Economic Security distributed $155.5 million in SNAP resources to Grand Canyon State residents in September, Bezio said. The agency publishes a monthly bulletin on the funds it distributes.
On average, Arizona households using SNAP benefits received $359 to purchase groceries last month. That amounted to $182 per person, according to DES.
Can the USDA freeze SNAP funds?
The USDA warned in an Oct. 10 letter that there will not be enough funding to pay for SNAP benefits in November.
Nearly two weeks later, the federal agency said things had reached an “inflection point” in the shutdown fight.
SNAP benefits paused for November amid government shutdown
