Food Stamps to Be Paused for 42 Million Americans: What to Know

The Average SNAP Benefit is $187.20 Per Month per person - it cost about $350 per month to feed an Adult in the US. 

by Zachary Stieber, The EPOCH Times.com, October 30, 2025

Food stamps are set to be paused on Nov. 1 because of the government shutdown.

Some 42 million Americans will not receive benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) until Congress approves new funding, according to federal officials, although some states have taken steps to intervene.

Here’s what to know.

Lack of New Funding
Congress made money available for SNAP for October before failing to reach a new government funding agreement, which resulted in the government shutting down on Oct. 1, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said in a letter to regional and state SNAP officials.

There is not enough money to pay full SNAP benefits to the approximately 42 million SNAP recipients in November, the USDA says. “Bottom line, the well has run dry,” the USDA said on Oct. 25. “At this time, there will be no benefits issued November 01.”

SNAP costs the government about $100 billion a year. Participants receive an average of $187.20 a month.

Trump Admin: Contingency Funds Can’t be Used

Democrats and some organizations have urged the USDA to utilize its contingency funds to ensure that at least some recipients don’t have benefits paused.

About $5 billion in contingency funding is available, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. The remaining $3 billion could come from other areas, the center said, pointing to how the Trump administration used $300 million in revenue from tariffs to fund a separate program in October called the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children.
 

Click Here for A Closer Look at Who Benefits from SNAP: State-by-State Fact Sheets

“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,” Rep. Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.), the top Democrat on the House Subcommittee on Nutrition and Foreign Agriculture, and 213 other House Democrats said in a letter to USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins. Most Senate Democrats sent a similar letter to the agriculture secretary.

The USDA said in a memorandum that it could not legally use the contingency funds because the pending pause is not an emergency. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) backed that position on Oct. 27.

Can States Take Action?

States cannot cover benefits, according to the USDA memo. “There is no provision or allowance under current law for states to cover the cost of benefits and be reimbursed,” it stated.

Virginia and Louisiana declared emergencies over the situation, and Virginia launched a program it said would provide benefits to SNAP directly. Other states have said that instead of directly providing SNAP benefits, they will look to help recipients access food. Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont said Monday that he was sending $3 million to Connecticut Foodshare to help the nonprofit with the expected higher burden when food stamps are paused. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said her administration has fast-tracked $30 million to food banks.

ANYONE who Steals Food because their SNAP benefits were paused needs to be arrested and have their SNAP taken away forever! Breaking the Law is NOT how Americans handle a problem! The Average SNAP recipient get's $187.20 per MONTH! If you don't have a family member or a friend… https://t.co/PZMBK7XR0Y

— Tom Zawistowski (@TomZWTPC) October 31, 2025

Lawsuit Filed

Two dozen states on Oct. 28 sued the federal government to try to force officials to utilize other sources of money to keep SNAP benefits flowing. The states said the USDA is legally obligated to keep funding SNAP.

Officials said the government can draw from a contingency fund containing about $5 billion and a separate fund that has more than $23 billion in it. The USDA has said it does not comment on litigation.

What About Saved Benefits?

The SNAP program gives debit-like cards that are boosted each month with money to buy groceries.

People do not have to use their allocated money each month. It’s unclear whether people who have accumulated money on their cards will still be able to use them.

State officials have offered conflicting views, and the USDA has not responded to requests for comment on the matter.
 

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