Are SNAP Benefits Ending? How the Government Shutdown Affects SNAP EBT and 42 Million Americans

Nearly 42 million Americans (about 12% of the population) rely on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, which are managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), to pay for groceries each month.

A government shutdown that started Oct. 1, 2025, has made the status of SNAP benefits unclear. While the benefits were thought to be completely paused on Nov. 1, a court order on Oct. 31 required partial (50%) benefits to be paid. However, on Nov. 4, 2025, President Trump said benefits will be withheld until the government re-opens.

In short, SNAP’s future remains unsettled. This article explains what to do if your benefits are cut, delayed, or paused completely, and where to find help in the meantime. We’ll also discuss the broader implications of SNAP benefits ending on the economy.

Table of Contents

1. What to do if you lose your SNAP benefits
   1. Continue to use your EBT card if you have funds left
   2. Contact your state SNAP office
   3. Go to food banks
   4. Call 211 if you need it
   5. Seek out breast milk donations
   6. Turn to your community
   7. Explore ways to bridge the gap
   8. Talk to your employer
   9. Shop smart
2. Who uses SNAP?
3. What happens to the economy if SNAP benefits reduce or end?
   1. How SNAP supports the economy
   2. Economic effects of a SNAP reduction or pause
      1. Increase in shoplifting and other crime
      2. Fewer job opportunities
      3. More credit card debt
4. SNAP benefits are part of a larger picture
   1. Inflation
   2. Food bank shortages
5. More SNAP funding shortages coming

What to do if you lose your SNAP benefits

If you are used to receiving SNAP benefits to help cover food costs for your family and you’re at risk of losing benefits, you’ll need to take action to ensure you keep food on the table. Here’s what to do:

Continue to use your EBT card if you have funds left

SNAP recipients get their monthly benefits on an electronic benefits transfer (EBT) card; those benefits don’t expire at the end of the month but instead are good for a calendar year. This can be helpful if SNAP benefits are reduced or paused.

If you have fund left on your EBT card from previous months, you can use them to buy groceries this month and in the future.

However, most SNAP beneficiaries don’t often have much money, if any, remaining on their cards by the start of the next month. According to USDA data from 2022, the average household receiving SNAP benefits redeemed nearly 80% within two weeks, and 95% by the end of the month. Two in five households ended the month with less than $1 remaining.

Given an average SNAP benefit of $187 a month in 2025 and an average of 5% of funds rolling over, that’s $9 that the typical household might carry over from month to month.

Contact your state SNAP office

Contact your state’s SNAP authorities to ask where you can go to find food. They’ll be able to share state-specific resources and information to help you. Use this directory to find your state SNAP office.

Go to food banks

Food banks are the number one resource for putting food on your table, especially when SNAP benefits are paused or reduced. Expect long lines and limited resources during this time.

Call 211 if you need it

If you need help finding a food bank or additional resources to afford groceries, dial 211. This free, confidential service connects you with local organizations that provide food assistance, emergency aid, and other community support programs.

Seek out breast milk donations

If you have a young child who still depends on breast milk or formula, and you can’t breastfeed directly, you can find charitable organizations offering free breast milk that has been donated.

Turn to your community

In times like these, you may need to turn to loved ones and even acquaintances to ask for help—whether it’s friends and family, neighbors found through a Facebook group, coworkers on an email chain, or members of your religious community.

Explore ways to bridge the gap

If your SNAP benefits have been reduced or delayed, some cash advance apps allow you to access a portion of your earned wages early—essentially letting you borrow from your next paycheck. These can help cover essentials without taking on long-term debt. While some charge small fees or optional tips, others, like EarnIn, may let you access funds with no mandatory fees. Be sure to read the fine print so you know exactly what to expect.

Talk to your employer

Check whether your employer offers earned wage access (EWA)—a program that lets employees access the money they’ve already earned before payday. Many companies partner with EWA providers, and it’s often free or low-cost.

Ask your HR or payroll department if this is available to you; it can be a practical way to get through a tight spot without turning to other, more expensive options.

Shop smart

If you’re on a tight grocery budget, prioritize staples that will let you make healthy, high-calorie meals that you can stretch for a while. Foods like flour, oatmeal, rice, nuts, and chicken or veggie stock can go a long way. Canned vegetables, canned beans, and even canned meat can diversify your meals without the risk of the food going bad. Skip bottled or canned beverages and stick with water at home.

Who uses SNAP?

Currently, 41.7 million people—that’s one in eight Americans—rely on SNAP benefits to put food on the table. Of those 42 million:

• 38.8% (16.2 million) are children.
• 19.5% (8.1 million) are age 60 or older.
• 9.5% (4 million) are people with disabilities.

That means more than two-thirds of food stamp recipients are among the most vulnerable U.S. citizens.

Notably, there are strict work requirements put in place for SNAP recipients ages 16 to 59 who aren’t disabled. SNAP benefits are meant to be supplemental for those whose income does not entirely cover the cost of food (after other essential expenses, such as housing and healthcare).

Per the USDA, nearly three-quarters of SNAP recipients have a gross monthly income at or below 100% of the poverty level.

What happens to the economy if SNAP benefits reduce or end?

When SNAP benefits are reduced, or if they were to completely pause, it affects more than just the people receiving these benefits. We can expect major ripple effects throughout the economy.

How SNAP supports the economy

Per data from the USDA, every $1 spent in SNAP benefits generates up to $2 in economic activity (though the USDA uses a conservative 1.5 multiplier). According to that same report, every $1 billion in SNAP expenditures increases the GDP by $1.54 billion.

Data from the National Grocers Association also indicates that annual SNAP benefits support 388,000 jobs (with $20 billion in direct wages), which yields $4.5 billion in state and federal tax revenue.

SNAP spending benefits everyone, from farmers, ranchers, and suppliers to grocery store companies and their employees to state and federal employees and contractors to everyday consumers.

Economic effects of a SNAP reduction or pause

Here’s what could happen if SNAP benefits are reduced or paused long-term:

Increase in shoplifting and other crime

Victor Hugo’s Jean Valjean is a literary symbol for what happens when citizens can’t afford basic necessities like bread. But this isn’t just an anecdote from Les Miserables; data shows that food insecurity during hard economic times leads to a rise in shoplifting.

For instance, shoplifting increased 16% after 9/11 and 34% during the 2008 recession, per a report in the Washington Post. The National Retail Federation reported a 93% increase in shoplifting after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fewer job opportunities

As grocery stores and their suppliers contend with less demand (and more theft), they will look for ways to cut costs. One option: reducing hiring and laying off current staff. Reductions in force could lead to a surge in unemployment applications and would further stagnate the economy.

More credit card debt

When consumers who depend on SNAP benefits suddenly lose them, they’ll have to get creative with how they pay for groceries. For some, that means buying less and making food stretch. For others, it means cutting other costs so they can continue to buy groceries the way they always have.

And for some, it means taking on high-interest credit card debt. But credit card debt isn’t only dangerous for the borrower who swipes their plastic; according to Credit.org, high levels of consumer debt, especially high-interest credit card debt, slows economic growth, and thus impacts everyone.

SNAP benefits are part of a larger picture

The economy is complex; other moving pieces can further complicate the fallout from paused or reduced SNAP benefits.

Inflation

Food inflation has hovered around 3%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That means food prices are growing faster than the overall (and notably high) inflation rate, which would make grocery budgets even more challenging amid a reduction in SNAP benefits.

Food bank shortages

In early 2025, the Trump administration cut $500 million in food deliveries to food banks through the Emergency Food Assistance Program. That’s about 25% of the organization’s annual funding and represents 94 million pounds of food, now gone from food banks involved with the program.

More SNAP funding shortages coming

Even when the government shutdown ends and full SNAP benefits resume, recipients should prepare for impending changes to the program. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, passed earlier this year, will slash nearly $200 billion in SNAP funding over the next 10 years.

According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, this could leave millions of Americans, including children and people with disabilities, without access to the food they need.