With the federal government shutdown stretching into the longest in U.S. history, Nov. 1 was supposed to see the end of full Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) payments to some 42 million citizens until the shutdown was resolved.
Several states, including Vermont, have stepped in to try to fill at least some of the financial gaps for citizens enrolled in the state's 3SquaresVT program. Participants received most if not all of their November benefits on Nov. 7.
Vermont State Treasurer Mike Pieciak said on Nov. 7 that "state-funded partial 3SquaresVT benefits for the first 15 days of November have been successfully issued to more than 36,000 eligible households" across Vermont.
In a statement, Pieciak said he was "proud [that] our state continues to put people first, and I'm grateful to everyone across state government, the Legislature, and the state's banking partners who made this possible."
"While the Trump administration is fighting to keep money out of working people's hands, Vermont is working hard to ensure our neighbors can put food on the table," he said.
SNAP recipients in the area confirmed that they received payments Friday, though some stated they did not receive the full amount.
In addition, the state appropriated $250,000 to the Vermont Foodbank to support additional food purchase for food shelves to provide food access for those impacted by the 3SquaresVT benefit payment delay.
Local food shelves are also seeing an increase in clients.
"We're getting slammed," said Amanda Reed, operations manager for the Our Place Drop-In Center in Bellows Falls. "There is definitely an increase in people using the food shelf, and more people coming in for breakfast and lunch."
Reed said that donations of food and money from local people have helped.
"We may need to take a few more trips to the area food bank," Reed said, "but I think we're going to be OK."
How SNAP works
SNAP, known as 3SquaresVT in Vermont, provides monthly food benefits to eligible low-income individuals and families to help them buy food. It is a federal program, but is administered by the individual states.
SNAP eligibility is established by the federal government, while the states have some flexibility in setting some of the specific qualifying standards, such as income thresholds.
People can apply for benefits for their households in the state where they reside. State agencies then determine who qualifies for benefits. In Vermont, the Economic Services Division (ESD) of the Department for Children and Families (DCF) administers 3SquaresVT.
To continue receiving benefits, households have to be re-certified regularly.
The federal government sends a block payment of SNAP money to the individual states. The states then load a monthly benefit payment onto eligible SNAP participants' electronic benefits transfer (EBT) cards.
They can then use the card much like a debit card to purchase vegetables, fruit, meat, poultry, and dairy products.
EBT cards cannot be used to purchase tobacco, alcohol, vitamins, or non-food items, including pet food.
The federal government distributes about $4 billion in SNAP payments to the states each month. Nationally, 1 in 8 poor, disabled, and elderly Americans, 12% of the population, qualify for and depend on SNAP as a major supplemental food source.
Approximately 67,000 Vermonters, or about 10% of the population, receive SNAP benefits. While the majority are children, the elderly, and the disabled, nearly 29% of those receiving benefits are working families. Nationally, 38% of SNAP participants are working families.
To qualify for SNAP benefits in Vermont, gross household income must be equal to or less than 185% of the Federal Poverty Level. That is $2,413 a month for a household of one and $4,957 for a household of four.
Many SNAP recipients work, often in the service industries, but earn wages that are low enough that they still qualify for the nutrition program.
For example, Walmart and McDonald's, two of the largest and most profitable companies in the world, don't provide benefits to a large percentage of their employees. A single parent of two children who works 40 hours a week for $18 an hour would easily qualify for SNAP assistance.
Non-citizens have never been eligible for federal benefits like SNAP.
Federal government appeals to Supreme Court
The Trump administration said it would restore partial benefit payments to the states, in response to an earlier court decision, but said that the government did not have sufficient funds to cover full payments.
Since then, U.S. District Judge John McConnell Jr. of Rhode Island ordered the federal government to continue making full SNAP payments by Nov. 7, using all legally available reserve funds.
After President Trump wrote on social media last week that SNAP benefits will resume only when "the radical-left Democrats open up government," McConnell said it was clear that the administration was withholding funding the program for "political reasons."
Later on Nov. 7, the Trump administration appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court to put a pause on the order. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson granted a temporary stay, blocking the full payment requirement. This allows time for the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to consider the administration's request for a longer stay on the payments.
At press time, according to the Vermont Food Help website, the state will determine by Thursday, Nov. 13, "whether to issue the second half of [a recipient's] benefit for the rest of the month, depending on the state of federal government funding."
3SquaresVT recipients can check the balance of their EBT cards - which will continue working as usual - online or by calling 800-914-8605.
For questions about the funding, 3SquaresVT recipients can call the state Department for Children and Families Economic Services Division at 800-479-6151.
This News item by Robert F. Smith was written for The Commons.