Updated October 28, 2025: This brief has been amended to reflect FFIS’s current understanding of SNAP funding.
As the federal government shutdown extends into the end of October, concerns are mounting about the ability to continue operating crucial nutrition assistance programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). In fiscal year (FY) 2024, SNAP provided benefits for nearly 42 million people, and WIC provided benefits for nearly seven million women and children.
The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has indicated that neither program has sufficient funds to pay benefits or continue operations in November with contingency funds. This Budget Brief describes recent developments related to SNAP and WIC operations during the shutdown.