SNAP recipients are being asked to purchase shelf-stable items as a funding deadline approaches amid the government shutdown

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program beneficiaries could see their benefits dry up starting next Saturday, November 1, if they… The government shutdown continuesAccording to reports and authorities.

SNAP, which serves nearly 42 million Americans each month, was able to keep the money running through October because states received the funding before the government shut down on October 1.

But, in an Oct. 10 letter to state and territory SNAP administrators, the USDA warned that there will not be enough funding to cover full benefits in November if the stalemate continues. NBC News reported.

Some states have already announced plans to suspend SNAP payments next month, a move that could significantly disrupt food access across the country.

The program, which allocates money to states on a monthly basis, has not disappeared during any other government shutdown in modern history.

Some state officials are urging recipients of SNAP, also known as food stamps, to stock shelf-stable goods and rely on food banks for extra support.

“If you have accumulated SNAP benefits from previous months in your account, use those funds now to purchase stable foods that can last through November and beyond,” Arkansas Department of Human Services states her website.

Food banks have criticized the proposed protocol, saying they do not have enough resources or food to fill the gaps.

“There is no way our charitable food network or the system in this country can provide this amount of food overnight or quickly. It is an impossible mission,” Katherine D’Amato, CEO of the Food Bank of Greater Boston, told the outlet.

D’Amato estimated a potential loss of 56 million meals in Massachusetts next month if the money dries up.

Pennsylvania has already suspended benefits, Issue a notice “Beginning October 16, SNAP benefits will not be paid until the federal government shutdown ends and funds are released to PA.”

“Please be patient and respectful of our employees as we try to help you through these changes caused by the federal government shutdown,” the statement read.

Texas He said the payments would stop If the shutdown continues past Oct. 27, the state of Wisconsin has warned recipients that funds remaining in October “may not be available in November,” the outlet reported.

“Benefits may not be available in November,” a letter to Wisconsin residents said. “This may include any money left on your card at the end of October. You may want to use your benefits to stock up on food before the end of October.”

Treasurers in Oregon and Massachusetts said their states have no contingency plans for SNAP if the federal government cannot provide the necessary funding in a press call Thursday, according to the outlet.

Other states have announced barely-there plans for when SNAP benefits expire.

Republican Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin said he would declare a state of emergency to provide food assistance to SNAP beneficiaries. The details of how the benefits will be distributed were not clarified.

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, another Republican, also vaguely pledged to make a top priority making sure that “seniors, individuals with disabilities, and children who depend on food stamps do not go hungry in Louisiana.”

New Hampshire officials announced a plan to increase food access through food banks and mobile pantries, which requires approval by a GOP-controlled state legislative committee.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, said this week he would do so Deployment of the National Guard To help food banks.

Newsom: “This is serious and urgent — and requires immediate action.” He said in a statement.

Low-income households eligible for SNAP receive debit cards loaded each month by the federal government to load groceries at participating stores.

The average monthly benefit is $187 per person.

Most beneficiaries have incomes at or below the poverty level.

The WIC program, which provides food to low-income women and children, faces the risk of drying up by the end of October despite a $300 million infusion earlier this month.

“Continue to stick to health care for illegal immigrants or reopening the government so mothers, children and the most vulnerable among us can get WIC and SNAP benefits in a timely manner,” a USDA spokesperson told the outlet, casting the issue as a political showdown caused by Democrats.

The US Department of Agriculture did not immediately respond to the newspaper’s request for comment.

With mail wires