Anxiety is surging across Massachusetts as households on federal nutrition benefits face the imminent threat of missing November payments if the partial federal shutdown is not resolved by October 27. Over one million low-income Massachusetts residents will lose food assistance if benefits are interrupted. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service told state agencies that if the shutdown goes past October 27, there will be no November funding. This technical deadline means that state agencies cannot schedule benefits without congressional approval of spending. Consequently, a November funding shortfall would mean no reloads to the benefit cards used to purchase groceries. Families who already stretch expenses at month’s end could be left with no margin for food, with immediate effects on children, isolated seniors, and workers with unstable incomes. Local social services are already reporting an uptick in requests for food aid by the third week of October,…..