USDA says contingency funds will not cover November SNAP benefits

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said in a memo Friday that it will not use its contingency reserves to pay Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits that are scheduled to lapse on Nov. 1 as the federal government shutdown continues, putting roughly 42 million recipients at risk of losing food aid next month. The memo, issued as the shutdown that began Oct. 1 entered its fourth week, said contingency funds are not legally available to cover regular monthly benefits when appropriations for the fiscal year no longer exist.

The agency reported that SNAP has about $6 billion in a multiyear contingency fund, short of the roughly $9 billion estimated to cover a full month of benefits. SNAP provides food assistance to about one in eight Americans and typically costs roughly $8 billion a month. The memo said the contingency fund is intended for emergencies such as disasters and is not available to support fiscal 2026 regular benefits because the appropriation for those benefits no longer exists. The document cited disaster response as a purpose for preserving the reserve.

The memo also told states they would not be reimbursed if they advance their own funds to cover November...