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- The suspension of the federal welfare program is expected to impact more than 350,000 Mississippians by the weekend unless agreement is reached in the U.S. Senate.
Unless a resolution is reached in the halls of the U.S. Capitol this week, families in Mississippi and across the nation who rely on food stamps will not receive SNAP benefits for the month of November.
The Mississippi Department of Human Services said Friday that the prolonged government shutdown is to blame. The state agency issued a statement alerting recipients on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program that benefits are not going to be issued on November 1.
SNAP benefits are issued through the U.S. Department of Agriculture. A statement by the Trump administration’s USDA points to the suspension of benefits as being due to actions, or lack thereof, on the part of Democrats in the U.S. Senate.
“We are approaching an inflection point for Senate Democrats. They can continue to hold out for healthcare for illegal aliens and gender mutilation procedures or reopen the government so mothers, babies and the most vulnerable among us can receive critical nutrition assistance,” the USDA’s statement reads.
The Mississippi Department of Human Services states that the federal government made the decision to not “transmit the EBT issuance files to EBT vendors until further notice. As a result, no new SNAP benefits will be issued for November unless federal guidance changes.”
Those who are currently receiving SNAP benefits are advised by MDHS to continue to meet and maintain the program’s existing requirements, including reporting changes to the household, attending scheduled interviews and turning in any verifications that are requested.
A timeline of when the federal government will end the near month-long shutdown and resume SNAP and other programs currently affected is unknown.
According to MDHS, existing balances from previous months on SNAP accounts will still be available to beneficiaries. Affected individuals and families are being directed to the various food banks and free pantries operating throughout the state.
“We understand the impact this disruption will cause for the over 350,000 Mississippians who use SNAP benefits to help them purchase healthy foods,” MDHS noted.
