BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – Hundreds of thousands of Louisiana families will not receive SNAP benefits in November due to the ongoing government shutdown in Washington, state officials announced.
Governor Jeff Landry said the weeks-long federal shutdown is preventing the state from distributing food assistance to families just weeks before the holiday season.
Betty Rogers, who receives SNAP benefits for her family of six, said she is uncertain about how to manage without the assistance.
“I don’t know exactly what’s about to happen with this, but all I could do is try to do my best with what I have,” Rogers said.
Holiday impact concerns
The timing of the benefit suspension raises concerns about holiday meals for Louisiana families.
Jaylon Medford, who knows SNAP recipients, said the lack of benefits will affect traditional holiday gatherings.
“A lot of that stuff be potlucks and people coming together and bringing their foods together. If everybody’s scarce, it’s not gonna feel like Thanksgiving for real,” Medford said.
Stores prepare for impact
The Louisiana Department of Health, which oversees the state’s SNAP program, said it will notify recipients about the suspended benefits. Stores are posting signs to inform customers about the lack of benefits.
Hundreds of thousands of Louisiana families will not receive SNAP benefits in November due to the ongoing government shutdown in Washington, state officials announced.(WAFB)Stores are posting signs to inform customers about the lack of benefits.(WAFB)
Joe Crowell, operations manager at Hi Nabor, said his team began preparing for the situation two weeks ago.
“About two weeks ago, we kinda had a feeling that this might happen. So our team of buyers have been reaching out to get better deals,” Crowell said.
Crowell said the effort aims to keep prices low for customers. He said 18% of Hi-Nabor’s customers receive SNAP benefits.
Rogers said she is trying to stretch her remaining money and has a message for federal lawmakers.
“There are families and babies that need to have their bellies fed. So, we need you all to do something…fast,” Rogers said.
It remains unclear whether the Trump administration will find funds to continue paying benefits or how long the government shutdown will last.
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