Food Stamps

State officials are working to restore full SNAP benefits to millions of people after the long U.S. government shutdown has finally ended. Some state officials said Thursday that full November SNAP benefits should be available to spend on groceries by Friday, if not sooner. A series of court rulings and shifting policies from the Trump administration had led to inconsistent distribution of November benefits. About two-thirds of states had issued only partial or no benefits before the shutdown ended Wednesday night. The federal food program serves about 42 million people in lower-income households.

In light of the longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history, local nonprofit organizations are feeling the brunt of the impacts as a lapse in SNAP benefits persist causing individuals as well as families to function without food for extended periods of time. Find out how one organization in particular is taking extra steps to help not only its clients, but also other local organizations weathering the storm of SNAP uncertainty.

President Donald Trump's administration is demanding that states reverse full SNAP benefits issued under recent court orders. The U.S. Supreme Court has stayed those rulings, affecting 42 million Americans who rely on the program. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's demand follows warnings from over two dozen states about potential "catastrophic operational disruptions" if they aren't reimbursed for benefits authorized before the stay. Nonprofits and Democratic attorneys general had sued to maintain the program, winning favorable rulings last week. Wisconsin, for example, loaded benefits for 700,000 residents but now faces financial strain.

A church parishioner in Sarasota and the Diocese of Venice are addressing financial and food needs in light of the government shutdown.

Food pantries are reporting more clients and expecting even more if SNAP benefits are paused.

The DeSantis administration is warning nearly 3 million Floridians who rely on federal food assistance that their benefits won’t be available in November due to the federal government shutdown. “If the federal government shutdown continues into November, (supplemental nutrition assistance program) SNAP benefits for the month of November will not be issued until federal funding is restored,” the Florida Department of Children Families (DCF) posted on its webpage.

For many, Collier County elicits images of golf courses, beautiful beaches and affluent people. But for some residents, a different reality exists, as the population experiencing food insecurity continues to grow.The Federal Reserve Economic Data reports Collier’s annual median household income at an estimated $75,799 in 2021, the last reported year. Of the nearly 386,000 population, 10.4% were living in poverty.

D-SNAP provides food assistance for individuals and families impacted by Hurricane Ian and who are not receiving food assistance benefits through the regular Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Low-income people in the state’s major food-assistance program will be able to make online grocery purchases to help protect them from the spread of...

Florida is applying for a federal waiver that will let people who receive SNAP benefits, commonly known as food stamps, order their groceries online.