Government Shutdown Affects Food Assistance Program

Martha Lozano pushed a grocery cart through the meat aisle Monday morning, eyeing prices and contemplating her shrinking bank account. With the future of federal food benefits still uncertain, Lozano could not afford to overspend at Malone’s Cost Plus in Dallas. She just paid her $1,380 rent and was down to $120 in her account. Due to the government shutdown, Lozano did not receive her usual $500 in food assistance on Nov. 1.

“What are we going to do?” she said while shopping with her 12-year-old son, Julio Jr. “I don’t know how we’ll survive if this keeps going.” Lozano is among the millions of Texans and Americans figuring out how to pay for groceries in coming days. The Trump administration said Monday it plans to partially fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program after two federal judges ruled it must use contingency funds to pay for the benefits during the shutdown.

Impact of the Shutdown on SNAP Recipients

Roughly half of the usual $8 to $9 billion will be made available, leaving many recipients with less money than they are accustomed to receiving. It remains unclear when recipients will receive their November aid. The Trump administration had previously warned that it could take weeks to distribute benefits on a partial basis.

Exhausting the fund potentially sets the stage for a similar situation in December if the shutdown is not resolved by then. “Everyone is worried,” said Maria Solis, manager of Malone’s Cost Plus in Dallas’ Pleasant Grove neighborhood.

SNAP Benefits and Food Insecurity

SNAP serves about 42 million people — about 1 in 8 Americans — and is a critical piece of the nation’s social safety net. Some 3.5 million low-income Texans receive the federal food assistance. Of those, 1.7 million are children. A loss or delay in SNAP benefits is particularly fraught in Texas, which has the highest rate of food insecurity in the U.S., according to the nonprofit Feeding America.

More than 5 million people, roughly 17.6% of the population, are considered food insecure. Recipients are now making difficult choices. Lozano, whose husband died two years ago, said her job at a gas station pays $11.75 an hour, barely enough to pay bills. Rising grocery prices have further squeezed her household, and she struggles to afford basics like toilet paper and laundry detergent.

Effects on Families and Communities

At her low-income apartment complex, neighbors give one another cans of corn or beans to help out. Her son, Julio, knows not to ask for soda or sweets, but when she spotted juice on sale, she brightened. “Look, baby,” she told him. “Hawaiian Punch for $2.99.” Grinning, he placed a jug in the cart.

SNAP is paid for by the federal government, but administered by states. Some states, including Louisiana, New Mexico and California, have allocated state funds to help cover the gap. Texas did not announce such a plan. As Thanksgiving approaches, SNAP recipients still do not know how much money they will receive in November.

Food Pantries and Assistance Programs

Many say they are relying more on food pantries, which have raced to fill the gap with help from the North Texas Food Bank. As Texans wait on benefits, the Trump administration said it would provide instructions to states Monday on how to calculate the per-household partial benefit. Still, the process of loading the SNAP cards, which involves steps by state and federal government agencies and vendors, could take up to two weeks.

In a court filing, the USDA warned that it could take weeks or even months for states to make all the system changes to send out reduced benefits. Texas officials have not yet said how long it will take to load benefits onto their Lone Star cards. Recipients in Texas receive an average of $379 a month, about $12 a day.

Personal Stories of Struggle

Outside the Malone’s grocery store, Ingris Enamorado loaded her car with bags of milk, corn flakes and oranges. Enamorado, who has a 2-month-old and 3-year-old, did not receive her usual $306 in SNAP benefits this month. She said she was grateful for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, known as WIC, which helps families with children younger than 5.

The government shutdown has not yet affected that program. Enamorado, 25, said construction work is beginning to dry up for her husband and cousin, and she is anxious about how they will afford food in coming weeks. “I’m worried,” she said. “Everything is going down.”

Martha Lozano puts ground beef in her cart while shopping with her 12-year-old son, Julio Jr., at Malone’s Cost Plus in Dallas’ Pleasant Grove neighborhood on Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. Due to the government shutdown, Lozano did not receive her usual $500 in food assistance on Nov. 1.

Juan Figueroa / Staff Photographer