‘I have to get what I need right now’: Americans brace for expiry of critical food benefits

October 29, 2025

A prolonged US government shutdown has put food assistance at risk for over 40 million Americans who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), with benefits potentially stopping after the upcoming Saturday due to lack of congressional funding agreement. The Trump administration refused to tap emergency contingency funds, arguing those resources should be reserved for natural disasters, while Democrats and Republicans blame each other for the impasse that has entered its fifth week. Recipients like Chantille Manuel, who depends on SNAP despite running her own business, face impossible choices about stretching limited food budgets, while food banks prepare for a potential surge in demand they may struggle to meet.

Who is affected

More than 40 million Americans who use SNAP (one in eight Americans)
Chantille Manuel, a Florida resident in recovery who runs a beauty salon
Austin Lemmer, an individual SNAP recipient
Approximately 80,000 people served by All Faiths Food Bank in Sarasota, Florida
20,000 SNAP recipients in the Sarasota area, including 14,000 who don't currently use food banks
Low-income families who depend on SNAP as a critical lifeline
Food banks that will face increased demand with reduced capacity

What action is being taken

Democrats in the US Senate introduced legislation on Tuesday to continue funding SNAP during the shutdown
25 Democratic attorneys general plus the District of Columbia are suing the Trump administration over its plan to halt food assistance funding
All Faiths Food Bank is redistributing its food supplies to prepare for potentially feeding more people
Several states are pledging to use their own funds to cover any shortfall (though the federal government warns they won't be reimbursed)
Volunteers are packaging food at the All Faiths Food Bank warehouse

Why it matters

SNAP serves as a fundamental safety net and critical lifeline that keeps families out of deep poverty, sometimes being the tipping point that moves families above the poverty line. For many recipients who work but earn very little money, the program plays a vital role in how they purchase groceries, providing an average of less than $6 per person per day for a family of four. The potential loss of benefits represents what food bank officials describe as "a new storm" from which people will not immediately recover, affecting access to what should be an inalienable right to food.

What's next

Saturday deadline when SNAP officials say they will not have funds to pay full benefits from November 1st
The Senate legislation to continue SNAP funding awaits a vote, with unclear prospects for passage
The lawsuit by Democratic attorneys general is proceeding against the Trump administration
States that pledge their own funds will need to decide whether to proceed without federal reimbursement

Read full article from source: BBC