As the government shutdown drags on, the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare says it will not distribute food stamps this November.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture notified states this week it will not issue Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funds until the government reopens. The state says that delay could go beyond November.
This will affect about 130,000 Idahoans, or about 6.5% of the population.
The Idaho Foodbank serves about 216,000 people each month, through 400 partners across the state. Program Director Jana Wolf said they anticipate an increase in people accessing food pantries and soup kitchens as benefits run out at the end of the month.
“We have agencies reaching out right now just feeling a little uncertain about what's going to happen if SNAP benefits are delayed,” she said. “So we're working really closely as a team to make sure that we're prepared.”
Wolf added that food banks can step in for the time being, but cannot replace SNAP benefits altogether, saying they are prepared to respond to the community's needs.
“For every one meal that a national network of food banks can provide, SNAP actually provides nine meals. And so that program is pretty important to those who are in need,” she said, adding that if benefits were delayed for several months, the charitable Food Network would not be able to fill the gap.
In August, the average food stamp recipient in Idaho received $179 per month, or less than $2 per meal. Around 41 million Americans receive food stamps from the federal government. To qualify, an individual must report an income at or lower than 130% of the Federal Poverty Level.
The WIC program, which provides additional nutritional assistance to Women, Infants and Children, is not affected by the shutdown.
