The federal government shutdown is set to deliver its harshest blow yet, threatening food aid for millions of Americans as funding for the nation’s largest nutrition program runs out.
Funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) — a lifeline for low-income households — will expire on Nov. 1, cutting off support for more than 40 million Americans and sending shockwaves through the nation’s food economy.
For families living paycheck to paycheck, the loss of SNAP benefits could mean skipped meals and growing reliance on food banks already stretched thin.
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SNAP households reflect a broad cross-section of America, spanning working families, retirees, and those facing economic hardship. Benefits vary from household to household based on income, family size, and essential living expenses that determine eligibility and payment amounts.
President Donald Trump’s hallmark One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), signed into law on July 4, makes major changes to SNAP. The new provisions expand work requirements for able-bodied adults up to age 64, tighten eligibility for certain non-citizens, and shift more administrative and financial responsibility to the states.
Federal law states that those without lawful immigration status are not eligible for SNAP benefits.
While benefit amounts themselves aren’t cut, the new rules are expected to narrow eligibility and increase compliance burdens.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins acknowledged the scale of federal food assistance, telling Fox Business’ Larry Kudlow that "one of every eight Americans gets a welfare check from the government for food."
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Still, she highlighted what she called a positive trend, noting that roughly 645,000 people have left SNAP and entered the workforce since Trump returned to office.
The scale of those changes is striking in the context of how many American households still rely on SNAP to cover their most basic needs.
About 41.7 million Americans, or one in eight households, relied on SNAP each month in 2024, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
In that same year, federal spending on SNAP totaled $99.8 billion, with benefits averaging about $187 per participant each month, according to USDA data.
Behind those numbers are millions of working families and a growing number of seniors who rely on SNAP income alongside earned wages or Social Security to make ends meet.
In fiscal year 2023, nearly 30% of all SNAP households reported having a job and earning a paycheck. More than half of the families with children and receiving SNAP had at least one household member who was employed.
In addition to SNAP benefits, 61% of participants received income from government assistance programs such as Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families or state aid.
Overall, adults ages 18 to 59 made up the largest share of recipients at 42%, followed by children at 39% and seniors at 19%, a breakdown that shows SNAP’s role in supporting both the working poor and the most vulnerable.
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The USDA has warned that if the shutdown continues past early November, states may have to delay or suspend SNAP payments altogether. Some governors are already preparing contingency plans, though federal law leaves them little flexibility without new funding from Congress.
If the government shutdown continues, millions of Americans who rely on SNAP to feed their families could be left in limbo. The program’s looming lapse underscores how a political stalemate in the nation’s capital can ripple through kitchen tables and grocery aisles across the country.
