(Oct. 13) WASHINGTON – The first program in Minnesota to feel the impact of the federal government shutdown is one that helps enroll people in the food stamp program.
Funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Outreach Program ended Oct. 1, the first day of the shutdown.
The program, run largely by non-profits, helps eligible individuals and families access SNAP benefits by providing information, assistance with applications and support throughout the enrollment process.
The Trump administration had asked Minnesota for a revised SNAP outreach plan and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which funds the food stamp program, did not approve it before the government shuttered, said Patrick Hogan, a spokesman for Minnesota Management and Budget.
“Therefore, we have no access to fund it,” Hogan said.
Funding for SNAP benefits, which serve more than 440,000 Minnesotans, was paid out just before the Oct. 1 shutdown, so states can continue to provide those benefits through the end of the month, and maybe even into November. But if the shutdown stretches into next month, the food stamp program could be frozen until the federal government reopens.
“We are continuing to do SNAP outreach, but with the state’s plan not having been approved before the shutdown began, it is unclear how much – if any – of that will be reimbursed retroactively,” said Zack Rodvold, a spokesman for Second Harvest Heartland, a major food bank serving Minnesota and Wisconsin.
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