By Ellyn Ferguson
CQ-Roll Call
WASHINGTON, D.C. — State and county workers spent the weekend gathering information needed to make sure 38 million low-income people receive their February food stamp benefits early despite a partial federal government shutdown.
The Agriculture Department prompted the flurry of activity when it announced last week that it would tap the remaining budget authority in an expired continuing resolution to provide states $4.8 billion to cover February benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
As a result, states, counties, tribal governments and U.S. territories are scrambling to compile beneficiary information since the USDA’s budget authority for the funding ends Jan. 21. The federal government funds SNAP, but state and local authorities administer the benefits.
Some SNAP employees will work up to the Tuesday close-of-business deadline to forward the files to contractors responsible for loading the benefits onto individual electronic cards that people enrolled in SNAP can use to buy food. SNAP was formerly known as the food stamp program.
The contractors then have until Jan. 20 to get the benefits out to recipients. USDA left it to state officials to get the word out to SNAP workers and supervisors.
Officials warned that employees might have to work overtime to meet the Tuesday deadline. Nikki Farago, the state’s deputy assistant commissioner for Children and Family Services, acknowledged that the shutdown will be difficult for staff and recipients.
SNAP offices across the United States will continue to accept new applications for benefits after Jan. 20, although it is unclear if USDA will be able to provide funding beyond February. Under federal law, states cannot stop people from applying.
This week, state officials said they will meet with SNAP advocates and send letters out to SNAP beneficiaries. Similar meetings are occurring across the country as other states rush to meet the deadlines.
President Donald Trump and Congress are still at an impasse over funding for the president’s proposed border wall, signaling a potential lengthy shutdown.
The department has a $3 billion contingency reserve fund it could tap, but the available money is less than the full amount needed for benefits. The shortfall between $3 billion and the $4.8 billion needed to pay benefits could result in USDA having to cut monthly benefits in March to stretch the money.
Brandon Lipps, acting USDA deputy undersecretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services, told reporters during a Jan. 8 call that “if Congress does not send the president a bill he can sign to give these folks certainty in receiving their benefits, we will move to March in determining every scenario we have possible to ensure that they continue to have access to food.”
