Government shutdown leaves SNAP benefits in limbo

Unless action is taken soon, the ongoing government shutdown is expected to delay Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits indefinitely for November. Nearly 34,000 individuals in Lorain County receive SNAP benefits. Ohio's food benefits usually are distributed between the second and 20th of every month. For Second Harvest Food Bank President/CEO Julie Chase-Morefield, that means not only an expectation of more people seeking food from the nonprofit, but that no new food orders can be placed to the federal government to refill Second Harvest's shelves. As such, Second Harvest has tapped into its reserve funds to order more food commercially in part in anticipation of an increased need in the counties it serves. On Oct. 10, the U.S. Department of Agriculture notified states that if a shutdown continued, there would be insufficient funds to pay November's full SNAP benefits, and that no benefits can be issued while the shutdown is in place, Lorain County Job and Family Services Director Christopher Cabot said in an email. The more than 19,000 adults and 14,500 children in Lorain County who rely on SNAP benefits receive about $6.4 million each month, Cabot said, meaning that is a loss not only to those families, but the local economy. "These funds are vitally important to the viability and sustainability of our county merchants that accept SNAP," Cabot wrote. Chase-Morefield said the loss will trigger trickle-down impacts for local stores. It is lost revenue, which may mean they cut staff members' hours or have fresh food go to waste on shelves. "It just compounds the problem," she said. October and November normally are some of Second Harvest's busiest months, she said — in part due to its Thanksgiving food distribution that already has a waitlist. Beyond its large holiday distribution, its regularly scheduled drive-thru distribution at Oakwood Park is 2-4 p.m. Nov. 6, and it could add another emergency distribution if the need arises. "We just want people to try to stay calm and we'll try to help as much as we can and try to put out as much food as we can to help bridge the gap as much as possible," Chase-Morefield said. Cabot was optimistic the people of Lorain County would take care of one another. "The halting of SNAP benefits is an unfortunate circumstance, but I am confident that Lorain County residents will band together and help each other navigate this difficult issue," he wrote. More than 42 million Americans rely on food benefits every month. On average, they receive about $187 per person, per month, with the majority of beneficiaries living at or below the federal poverty level. SNAP benefits were unaffected during a 35-day shutdown that started in 2018 and dragged into early 2019. At that time, the benefit program was funded through a contingency fund appropriated by Congress in 2018. To fund SNAP benefits during the current shutdown would take an act by the Trump administration to allocate money to the program. On Friday, U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Toledo, and scores of fellow Democrats called for the USDA to use contingency reserve funds for SNAP. However, The Trump administration has rejected using contingency funds, according to a Department of Agriculture memo. There is enough in the reserve to cover about two-thirds of the funds needed for a full month of benefits, according to a statement from Kaptur's office. Alongside using the reserve funds, she and other Democrats sought to have the federal agency to use its statutory transfer authority to cover the reserve fund's shortfall for November's benefits. A request for comment from U.S. Rep. Bob Latta, R-Bowling Green, was not returned Friday. Like Cabot, Chase-Morefield hoped the community would take care of one another, and pledged Second Harvest and its partners would do what they could to fill in the gaps. "There's 42 million people that get SNAP," Chase-Morefield said. "A month without SNAP — I don't know what that looks like on the other side. SNAP is families with children, people who are disabled and seniors." Beyond the government shutdown, changes to SNAP benefits soon will restrict noncitizenship eligibility for federal food benefits. The change, part of H.R. 1, known colloquially as the one big beautiful bill, limits food benefits to U.S. citizens, green card holders who have gone through a five-year waiting period and some nationals with special status. It bars refugees, asylum grantees and human trafficking survivors who are not U.S. citizens from retaining benefits as of Nov. 1. To find local food pantries, hot meals and other food distributions, visit freshtrak.com or see the weekly food distribution list that appears Mondays in The Chronicle-Telegram. To donate to Second Harvest Food Bank, visit www.secondharvestfoodbank.org. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Contact Carissa Woytach at cwoytach@chroniclet.com.