Possible Government Shutdown Threatens SNAP

The state's 423,000 food stamp recipients could soon be early victims of Washington's looming budget crisis. USDA has instructed the Connecticut Department of Social Services and similar agencies in all of the states to not dispense any October benefits to food stamp recipients "until further notice." The USDA cites the threat of a federal government shutdown on Oct. 1 as the reason for holding up the benefits. Some $60 million in food aid could hang in the balance, one Connecticut official said. Unlike the 2013 shutdown when cash reserves allowed SNAP benefits to be disbursed as normal, USDA will not have the funding necessary for SNAP benefits in October.