USDA Orders Pause on Food Assistance Benefits Due to Government Shutdown

USDA orders are paused for meals help advantages because of the authorities shutdown

(MDHHS, October 23, 2025)

LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Division of Well being and Human Companies (MDHHS) has acquired discover from the federal authorities’s Division of Agriculture (USDA) Meals and Vitamin Service (FNS) indicating that because of the ongoing federal authorities funding loss, there could also be restricted availability of funds to understand the complete advantages of the Supplemental November’s Vitamin Help Program (SNAP) to pay for about 42 million people nationwide. FNS has sadly instructed MDHHS to carry November SNAP issuance and continued advantages till additional discover.

The federal authorities’s delay of SNAP advantages places Michiganders liable to meals insecurity and poverty. A essential program for households and people throughout Michigan to entry meals, SNAP is the nation’s largest meals help program and one of the crucial efficient instruments to scale back meals insecurity. Practically 13% of Michigan households, roughly 1.4 million individuals, obtain SNAP advantages. About 43% are households with youngsters and 36% are households with older adults or disabled individuals.

“The influence of households shedding SNAP advantages shall be felt throughout the state,” mentioned Elizabeth Hertel, director of MDHHS. “SNAP is greater than a meals help program; it’s a lifeline for a lot of Michigan households. It helps households put nutritious meals on the desk, helps native farmers and grocers, and strengthens our communities and economic system. We’re deeply disenchanted by the USDA’s determination to delay this help, and in Michigan we’ll do what we will to assist mitigate this influence.”

SNAP individuals ought to contact their local MDHHS office with any questions on their SNAP advantages or test MI bridges for updates.

To seek out extra sources:

How SNAP works

FNS administers SNAP on the federal degree, whereas states administer this system on the native degree, figuring out eligibility and offering advantages to eligible households.

SNAP advantages are supplied on digital profit switch playing cards (EBT playing cards) that individuals can use to buy meals at grocery and comfort shops, farmers markets and different retailers, placing cash instantly into the meals provide chain and different retail sectors. SNAP spending generates income for grocery shops, farmers and different companies, which helps pay native wages, maintain cabinets stocked and stimulate the native economic system.

SNAP helps elevate households out of poverty by permitting them to spend cash that might in any other case have been used on meals on different items and companies, together with health-related actions. A 2021 study confirmed that infants and youngsters in SNAP households usually tend to go to a health care provider for periodic checkups. Moreover, so are older adults who use SNAP You are more likely to take the full dose of prescribed medication as a result of they’ve sufficient revenue to pay for meals and medication, in comparison with different older adults who don’t take part in SNAP.

In response to new economic analysis from the Nationwide Grocers Affiliation, SNAP funding helps roughly 388,000 jobs, greater than $20 billion in direct wages, leading to greater than $4.5 billion in state and federal tax income.

SNAP in Michigan

In FY 2024, the common SNAP family in Michigan acquired $335.03 in SNAP advantages per thirty days, which equates to roughly $173 per individual per thirty days or $5.68 per individual per day. Very low-income households obtain extra SNAP advantages than households nearer to the poverty line as a result of they want extra assist paying for nutritious meals.

• 492,225 youngsters profit from SNAP.

• 38,513 veterans taking part in SNAP.

• 36% of SNAP households are made up of older adults.

• 43% SNAP households have youngsters.

• 51% of households have an individual with a incapacity.

• 78% of SNAP households embody somebody with an revenue from work.

In Michigan, greater than 9,700 retailers settle for SNAP. In 2023, retailers redeemed greater than $3.6 million in SNAP.

To qualify for SNAP in Michigan, candidates should be a U.S. citizen (or acceptable noncitizen standing) and reside in Michigan. Eligibility depends upon the monetary scenario of all members of a family. Anybody who lives collectively, buys and prepares meals collectively is taken into account a member of the identical family group. To find out a family’s eligibility for SNAP, MDHHS will assess a family’s bills, property, and revenue. The prices embody lease, mortgage, utility payments, little one help, and dependent care prices. For people with disabilities or who’re at the very least 60 years previous, medical care, medical provides, and medical health insurance premiums could also be included as bills.

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