The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is warning Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients that November benefits may not be issued if the ongoing federal government shutdown continues. According to state officials, the department was notified late last week by the U.S. Food and Nutrition Service to pause the issuance of November benefits until further notice. Iowa SNAP currently serves about 131,000 households each month, distributing nearly $45 million in federally funded benefits. Iowa HHS officials said they are closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with food banks, pantries, and community organizations to help support families who may be affected by the delay in benefits. Once the shutdown ends, the agency will work quickly to process and load benefits onto existing SNAP cards. Recipients were instructed to retain their EBT cards through the shutdown. Iowa HHS will post relevant will be posted online at hhs.iowa.gov/snap, where users can also sign up for alerts related to benefits.
