COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio officials warned Wednesday that food stamp benefits will not be available to residents this week unless the ongoing federal government shutdown ends immediately.
The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services said it received new guidance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture on providing partial Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits for November, but without a resolution to the shutdown, SNAP payments cannot proceed as scheduled.
Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, reaffirmed a state plan announced last week to allocate up to $25 million in emergency food assistance for affected families.
As part of that effort, the state has transferred $7 million to regional food banks based on their share of SNAP customers.
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The plan also includes up to $18 million in emergency relief for more than 63,000 extremely low-income Ohioans — including over 57,000 children — enrolled in the Ohio Works First program, which serves families at or below 50% of the federal poverty level.
If the shutdown lasts through November, the aid would double monthly OWF benefits by adding weekly payments equal to 25% of the regular allotment for up to four weeks or until federal SNAP funding resumes. The first installments are expected by Friday, Nov. 7.
Separately, the Ohio Department of Health received $10.3 million from the USDA on Tuesday to extend Women, Infants and Children program benefits into December. The WIC initiative provides supplemental foods, nutrition education and health referrals to about 180,000 eligible mothers, infants and children monthly through 75 local agencies in all 88 counties.
The federal government shutdown, the first in nearly five years happened a little over a month ago after Congress failed to pass a stopgap spending bill amid partisan disputes over border security funding and domestic program cuts proposed by the incoming Trump administration. With Republicans controlling the White House and Senate but facing a slim House majority, negotiations have stalled, leaving non-essential services frozen and hundreds of thousands of federal workers furloughed or working without pay. As of Thursday, the impasse persists, with no bipartisan agreement in sight despite White House overtures for a short-term extension. Regarding SNAP benefits, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has halted new issuances and recertifications due to lapsed funding, affecting over 42 million low-income Americans nationwide; partial November allotments were briefly considered but ultimately suspended last week, forcing states like Ohio to rely on emergency measures while full resumption awaits congressional action.