Food stamps are about to run out for hundreds of thousands of Arizonans. The ongoing federal government shutdown will disrupt payments for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, nationwide.
More than 887,000 Arizonans receive SNAP benefits, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
As the federal government shutdown drags into its fourth week, the Arizona Department of Economic Security, which administers SNAP in the state, says the federal government has instructed states not to issue November SNAP benefits.
“Approved participants of the SNAP program will be unable to collect November benefits until federal funding is released to states,” a statement from DES said.
DES says its offices remain open and it will continue accepting and processing applications for SNAP in Arizona in the meantime.
But the department’s website is directing Arizona SNAP recipients to local food banks if they need immediate food assistance. Food banks in Arizona can be found through the Arizona Food Bank Network.
Arizonans who receive food assistance through the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, known as WIC, will still receive assistance at least through mid-November, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services. The WIC program helps low-income expectant mothers and mothers with young children cover the costs of baby formula, milk and fresh produce.
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