Food Stamp Beneficiaries Got Their Benefits Early Because Of Shutdown, But Many Worry The Money Will Run Out Before Next Payment
SNAP benefits are usually staggered throughout the month according to last name or Social Security number. Suddenly, millions of families that normally get their benefits toward the middle of the month will have to live off what little they have for about 50 days.
The Washington Post:
‘I’m Just Wondering If I’m Going To Have Enough’: Shutdown Creates Lasting Fallout For Food Stamp Recipients
The call came Jan. 19, just after Quatashia Cuff got back from grocery shopping, a task that had taken several hours because she’d made the trip out of Boston to shop in the suburb of Quincy. It was a long way to haul groceries, especially for someone seven months pregnant, but she’d learned long ago that getting by meant stretching her money as far as possible, and milk was often $2 cheaper out there. A recorded message on the phone confirmed what she’d been bracing for: February’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, or food stamps, had been paid out early because of the government shutdown, so she had a little more money than usual for this time of the month. (Telford, 1/31)
In other news on the lasting effects of the shutdown —
Reuters:
'We Know How To Survive,' But U.S. Shutdown Cuts Deep For Native Americans
The Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma used a GoFundMe page and its own money to feed its many members who were furloughed or worked without pay during the U.S. government shutdown. On their reservation in Eagle Butte, South Dakota, the Cheyenne River Sioux used third-party funds and dipped into tribal funds to provide food assistance. The 35-day partial government shutdown affected 800,000 federal workers, but Native Americans were especially vulnerable because they rely mostly on federal contracts for services and jobs in the Bureau of Indian affairs for incomes. (Keith and Hay, 1/29)
