Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office had warned Monday that the shutdown would “likely delay food benefits” in November for CalFresh recipients “if President Trump and Congress do not reopen the federal government by October 23, or take action to fund benefits.”
All CalFresh enrollees will see their payments affected in November, but people newly enrolling in the program have already been affected and gone without October payments.
“If you signed up in the month of October, you’re more than likely not going to receive any CalFresh benefits for the month of October, nor likely November,” said Assemblymember Alex Lee, who chairs the state Legislature’s Human Services Committee with oversight of CalFresh policy.
What should people on CalFresh know right now?
With so much uncertainty at the federal level, it’s not yet known what this SNAP “delay” could look like, and whether payments could still come through sometime in November on a later schedule.
As for CalFresh payments being back-issued when the government eventually reopens, “we’re not sure about retroactivity on certain things,” cautioned Lee.
During the last government shutdown — the longest in U.S. history, lasting 35 days from December 2018 to January 2019 during Trump’s first term — USDA initially said SNAP benefits would run out by the end of January 2019. But February 2019 SNAP benefits were ultimately distributed early at the end of January, although food stamp beneficiaries then had to wait until March for the next round of payments.
According to reporting by Bloomberg, this time around CalFresh recipients will still be able to use any benefits on their Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards in November, if they have leftover funds in their account. And the state says that “as of now, you will be able to use your EBT card with your existing benefits as usual through the federal government shutdown.”
But Lee warned that CalFresh users should ultimately decide what’s right for them and their families, when it comes to spending down their funds now to stock up ahead of November or to save that money.
He also warned of the risk that layoffs and furloughs among the federal workers who manage SNAP’s IT systems could potentially impact the EBT system over the coming weeks. While CalFresh users “may still be able to use their EBT cards for the time being, they will probably come to a point … probably relatively soon where that system won’t function,” said Lee.
Newsom’s Monday statement also warned of “further stress on local food banks” as the Thanksgiving holiday draws closer. On Wednesday, Newsom announced that he would be “fast-tracking upwards of $80 million in state support” for food banks during the shutdown.
You can use the state’s tool to find a food bank near you and monitor the latest updates on CalFresh delays on the Department of Social Services site.
Fears about hunger amid SNAP delays
In California, seniors and children make up 63.2% of SNAP users, according to state data from last year. “More than likely, you know someone or you are someone that has needed CalFresh,” said Lee.
Advocates have expressed deep concern at the idea of CalFresh benefits being stopped or delayed in November because of the shutdown.
“CalFresh is a lifeline for more than 5 million Californians, including 2 million children,” said Shimica Gaskins, the president and CEO of End Child Poverty California. “It is unconscionable that families are just days away from major consequences to their November food benefits.”
Gaskins said that “even brief periods of hunger for children cause physical and psychological damage that brings lifelong harms to their growth and development,” and urged the USDA to “follow the law that SNAP is a federal entitlement, drawing on the contingency fund and any other resources, and direct states to issue full November benefits as soon as possible.”
How did we get here?
According to a letter obtained by Politico dated Oct. 10, the United States Department of Agriculture warned state nutrition agencies that it will run out of money if the shutdown continues to November.
USDA Acting Associate Administrator Ronald Ward wrote that “SNAP has funding available for benefits and operations through the month of October.”
