Mid-October was the deadline for the federal government to take action to fund SNAP benefits amid the ongoing government shutdown. No action was taken, meaning SNAP recipients nationwide will lose their benefits next month. In California, that means that CalFresh food benefits, which are completely federally funded, will not be provided to 5.5 million Californians during the month of November.
CDSS provided CGA with in-store flyers retailers can use to notify customers of the shutdown and direct them to resources. Access the flyers below in both English and Spanish:
State officials confirmed with CGA that once a budget deal is reached and the federal government releases funding, it will take two to four days before benefits could be issued.
While SNAP benefits will not be funded, the WIC program received additional funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and will remain fully operational through November 30. The USDA also confirmed SNAP recipients will be able to use their EBT card unspent October balances in November.
It’s important for retailers to remember that despite these challenging circumstances, the SNAP Equal Treatment rule remains in effect.
Please reach out to Tim James for questions or more information.