Government Shutdown Exposes Vulnerabilities of SNAP Recipients

/

By Shelly Dieu (she/her)

San Diego, CA - As the looming government shutdown continues to dominate headlines and political tensions arise, the consequences will transpire in the homes of thousands of low-income San Diegans relying on public benefits programs. 

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or CalFresh in California is a public benefit program that allows recipients to purchase food at most grocery stores is threatened by the strain of a government shutdown. The San Diego Hunger Coalition, a leading advocacy group dedicated to combating hunger and poverty, is alarmed by the potential effects of this crisis on CalFresh recipients.  

This is what we know now: 

  • October CalFresh/SNAP benefits will be available to customers per usual. USDA has changed their accounting process so that they will "obligate" the benefits when the states send their issuance files to the EBT vendors instead of when the benefits are loaded onto the EBT cards. https://cdss.ca.gov/Portals/9/Additional-Resources/Letters-and-Notices/ACWDL/2023/CL_09-20-23.pdf?ver=2023-09-20-122337-467 

  • Due to this accounting change, benefits will be protected every October even if the legislators cannot come to a resolution on spending bills. 

  • If the government shutdown extends past October, SNAP recipients will have their benefits disrupted in November. 

Taking a look back to the 2018-2019 Government Shutdown, we know how an extended shutdown can affect community members: 

  • The federal government shutdown disrupted SNAP benefit distribution and SNAP participants had to wait longer than usual before benefits were issued. 

  • Receiving benefits early can mean some households have initial relief followed by hardship with longer stretches in between receipt of benefits 

  • SNAP communications may not be comprehensive as many recipients were not informed about benefit distribution disruption 

SDHC calls upon government leaders to take action to avoid a government shutdown immediately to protect vulnerable lives. 

In anticipation of this government shutdown, the San Diego Hunger Coalition is committed to working alongside policymakers, advocacy groups, and concerned citizens to protect the nutritional security of SNAP recipients and safeguard the health and well-being of our nation's most vulnerable populations. 

Shelly Dieu (she/her) is the CalFresh Program Manager of San Diego Hunger Coalition