Fact check: No, Walmart is not closing stores on November 1 amid SNAP benefits running out | Hindustan Times

A rumor has gone viral that retail giant Walmart is set to close all its in-person stores starting on November 1 in the US, as the SNAP benefits run out due to the ongoing government shutdown. The rumor is wildly viral on social media, with videos talking about Walmart shifting to an online-only mode amid the shutdown.

A false claim is viral that Walmart is closing physical stores over fears of food riots as SNAP ends on Nov 1. (Representational)(Unsplash)

However, the claims are false, as Walmart has not announced any closure of its physical stores, and certainly not due to the lapse of SNAP benefits. The rumor originated from claims that recipients of electronic benefits transfer (EBT), in which SNAP falls, are planning to loot stores in the event the EBT transfer stops due to the government shutdown – effectively turning it into a food riot.

The rumor that Walmart is closing all physical stores, fearing an impending loot due to the stop of SNAP benefits, is another addition to original rumor about food riots. And, like the one about EBT recipients looting retail stores, this is also false.

Walmart Closing On November 1: Origin of The Rumor

The rumor originated in a TikTok video misleadingly made in the format of news with a voiceover declaring that Walmart will close “starting November” as food assistance benefits run out in the US. The voice in the video explains that Walmart will allow only employees inside stores and will not allow in-person shopping over fears of riots. It states that customers have been asked to do all their in-store shopping before November.

Here’s the video

Since then, several posts have been made on social media, further propagating the false claims.

SNAP To Run Dry Starting Nov 1

Amid the ongoing government shutdown in the United States, the benefits of the federal government’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which helps over 42 million Americans with grocery purchases, are set to run out of funds on November 1, the Trump administration confirmed.

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The federal government has not been funded since October 1 due to the ongoing government shutdown, and the Trump administration said that it would not utilize the $5 billion contingency fund to keep the SNAP benefits alive. On Monday, the US Department of Agriculture officially announced that SNAP benefits will end on November 1.

“Bottom line, the well has run dry,” the USDA said. “At this time, there will be no benefits issued on November 01. We are approaching an inflection point for Senate Democrats.”