What you need to know
SNAP is a federally funded program that provides low-income individuals and families with monthly stipends to spend on groceries. The food assistance program ran out of funding Nov. 1, one month after the government shut down amid disagreements over federal health insurance subsidies.
Over 3.5 million Texans receive SNAP benefits each month, according to Feeding Texas, the statewide network of food banks. Payments are issued on a rolling basis throughout each month.
“For SNAP clients who receive benefits on or after the 14th of the month, full benefits will be issued on their normal issuance date,” the HHSC website states. “SNAP clients who already received partial benefits will receive the rest of their monthly amount on or after Nov. 14.”
Some Texans received partial SNAP payments beginning Nov. 10, according to previous HHSC guidance.
“This shutdown reminded us of a sobering reality: countless Texans are just one unexpected emergency or missed paycheck away from needing help—whether from a food bank or with assistance from the SNAP,” Feeding Texas said in a Nov. 13 statement after the federal shutdown ended. “It also reinforced an important truth: SNAP remains the nation’s largest and most effective anti-hunger program.”
Texas food banks expanded their operations to meet increased demand during the federal shutdown, Feeding Texas CEO Celia Cole previously told Community Impact.
SNAP enrollees can visit the Your Texas Benefits portal or call 800-777-7328 to check their account balance, apply for benefits and update their information, according to the HHSC.
How we got here
While SNAP is federally funded, benefits are administered at the state level. The U.S. Department of Agriculture ordered states Nov. 13 to “take immediate steps to ensure households receive their full November allotments promptly.”
The HHSC began sending full benefits to Texans one day later, according to its website.
The federal funding package, which President Donald Trump signed into law Nov. 12, includes over $107 billion to cover SNAP for the rest of the federal fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30. Budgets for most other federal programs last through Jan. 30.
