SNAP benefits to halt Nov. 1 as shutdown drags on; Indiana GOP budget panel rejects stopgap aid

Staff report

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Federal food benefits will not be issued on Nov. 1 because of the ongoing government shutdown, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said this week, a lapse that threatens assistance for more than 41 million Americans and hundreds of thousands of Hoosiers.

Indiana counted 586,403 SNAP recipients as recently as May 2025, according to federal data. Many are families with children who rely on monthly benefits averaging about $195 per person.

At a State Budget Committee meeting Wednesday, state Rep. Gregory W. Porter, D-Indianapolis, urged Indiana to temporarily cover November SNAP benefits and bolster food banks using surplus funds. Republicans on the panel voted down the proposal. “This isn’t about the dollars, it’s about the people behind them,” Porter said, calling on Gov. Mike Braun to act.

USDA has told states it will not use roughly $5 billion in contingency funds for November benefits during the shutdown and will not reimburse states that choose to shoulder costs themselves. The department has publicly warned that no federal food aid will go out Nov. 1 if funding isn’t restored.

Some states are moving to bridge the gap. Virginia declared a state of emergency and launched a temporary, state-funded nutrition program to deliver aid in weekly installments in November. Louisiana’s governor also signed an emergency order to support vulnerable residents, and New Hampshire advanced a contingency plan with its food bank network.

Porter’s plan asked the Braun administration or the State Board of Finance to allocate about $112 million to the Family and Social Services Administration to cover November SNAP for all recipients, plus $10 million per month for food banks while the shutdown continues. Republicans argued against the move as Congress remains stalled over federal spending.

The SNAP freeze comes as Braun has called lawmakers into a special session beginning Nov. 3 focused on redrawing congressional maps, prompting Democrats to criticize the timing while food aid is imperiled.

If federal funding is not restored quickly, Indiana food banks say demand could spike beyond current capacity as recipients lose access to electronic benefits at the start of the month.

What’s next: Congress would need to approve funding to restart SNAP disbursements. Without action, states must either step in with their own money or brace for increased hunger and demand on food pantries beginning Friday, Nov. 1.

“Since Gov. Braun has time for corrupt efforts to redistrict, I hope he can find some time to put food on families’ tables,” said Porter.

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