MA SNAP Benefits Won't Go Out In November, Officials Confirm

MASSACHUSETTS — Residents who receive federal food aid won't get their November benefits as the ongoing federal shutdown continues, the Department of Agriculture has announced.

The Department of Agriculture posted a notice on its website after the Trump administration said it would not tap roughly $5 billion in contingency funds to keep benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly referred to as SNAP, flowing into November. That program helps about one in eight Americans buy groceries.

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"Bottom line, the well has run dry," the USDA notice says. "At this time, there will be no benefits issued on November 01. We are approaching an inflection point for Senate Democrats."

U.S. Rep. and Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA) was among the House Democratic leadership to sign a letter to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins urging the use of the emergency funds to extend benefits amid the shutdown.

"There are clear steps the administration can and must take immediately to ensure that millions of families across the country can put food on their table in November," the letter said. "Choosing not to ensure SNAP benefits reach those in need this November would be a gross dereliction of your responsibilities to the American people."

Nationally, more than 62 percent of nearly 41.7 million SNAP participants are in families with children; 37 percent are in families with members who are older adults or disabled; and more than 38 percent are in working families, according to an analysis by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

The analysis of USDA Food and Nutrition Service data by the non-partisan research group that focuses on federal and state policies to reduce poverty and inequality also shows that 1.1 million Massachusetts residents. That's 16 percent of the state population (1 in 6) who depend on benefits to keep food on the table.

Nearly 10 percent of households in Massachusetts were considered "food insecure" as of 2023, meaning that their access to adequate food is limited by a lack of money or other resources. Data shows 10.4 percent of the population lived below the poverty line, 12.6 percent of children lived in families below the poverty line and 10.8 percent of older adults lived below the poverty line.

The shutdown, which began Oct. 1, is now the second-longest on record. While the Republican administration took steps leading up to the shutdown to ensure SNAP benefits were paid this month, the cutoff would expand the impact of the impasse to a wider swath of Americans — and some of those most in need — unless a political resolution is found in just a few days.

The prospect of families not receiving food aid has deeply concerned states run by both parties.

Officials in Louisiana, Vermont and Virginia pledged to keep food aid flowing to recipients in their states, even if the federal program is stalled next month because of the government shutdown.

Other states' attempts to use their own funds to support the program have faced technical hurdles, and it's uncertain if the three new plans can overcome these.

"This is purposeful cruelty, " said Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). "It is pain and hunger deliberately inflicted on more than a million Massachusetts residents by Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans.

"It is cruel to take food away from kids, families, and seniors already struggling to make ends meet. ... For the sake of Massachusetts families, and families across our country — restore SNAP benefits and stop pushing people into hunger."

Residents facing immediate hunger due to lack of SNAP benefits are advised to call or text Project Bread's Food Source Hotline at 1-800-645-8333 to receive information about food resources in their areaor talk with a Project Bread counselor.

The hotline is available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m.
to 2 p.m. Residents can still access WIC and school meals.

"As federal changes threaten to disrupt SNAP benefits, our commitment remains the same: to stand with the people we serve, strengthen our communities, and ensure every family has the resources to thrive," said state Department of Transitional Assistance Acting Commissioner Michael Cole. "Department of Transitional Assistance staff across Massachusetts are working tirelessly to support families through an unprecedented challenge.

"Every day, we see the strength of our clients, their determination to provide for their families and build stability in uncertain times."

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)