Additional Coverage:
Millions of Americans Face Food Insecurity as SNAP Benefits Halt
Central Pennsylvania – Over 40 million Americans, including many right here in Central Pennsylvania, are bracing for a severe blow to their household budgets as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits are set to cease this Saturday. This sudden halt, a direct consequence of the ongoing government shutdown, is sparking widespread fear and uncertainty among families who rely on the program for groceries.
Shila Ulrich, CEO of the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, anticipates a surge in demand as the deadline approaches. “People are scared,” Ulrich stated. “It’s a moment where people don’t know and understand what’s about to happen, whether or not they’ll get those benefits should the government open back up, or when.”
For individuals like Erin Annis, who depends on SNAP after battling three bouts of cancer and undergoing a double knee replacement left her unable to work, the prospect of losing assistance is deeply distressing. Annis shared with CBS News that she will be forced to rely on her children for financial support if her benefits are cut.
“That’s an awful feeling,” she said. “For them to have to help me… it’s a little tough to think about sometimes.”
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has confirmed that the “well will run dry” for SNAP benefits, commonly known as food stamps, due to the government’s inability to pass a federal budget. The USDA has also indicated that it will not utilize its estimated $5 million contingency fund to maintain payments, asserting that these funds are reserved for natural disaster relief.
As panic spreads among SNAP recipients, lawmakers are sounding the alarm about the impending crisis. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has been particularly vocal, highlighting the impact on local families.
“In July, Republicans in Congress voted to knock 310,000 Pennsylvanians off Medicaid and 144,000 off SNAP, all in order to give a tax cut for people who don’t need it,” Governor Shapiro stated last week. “Now, Republicans are once again threatening vital support for Pennsylvania families and children – it’s time for them to pass a federal budget and end this shutdown.”
On October 21, 2025, Governor Shapiro’s administration confirmed that November 2025 SNAP benefits would not be disbursed until the shutdown is resolved. In the interim, the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services has directed beneficiaries to seek assistance from local food banks and other community resources.
The gravity of the situation is being echoed across the nation. Senator Josh Hawley, a Missouri Republican, penned an op-ed in The New York Times, warning that “Saturday will be another grim milestone.
That is the day about 42 million Americans will lose federal food assistance.” He added, “Letting federal food assistance lapse would introduce an entirely new stage of suffering.”