This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
The United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service announced Thursday that no Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits will be distributed from Nov. 1 until further notice due to insufficient funds. Nearly 13% of Michigan households receive assistance from SNAP, a federal program that provides monthly food benefits to low-income households. USDA’s website states that due to the ongoing federal government shutdown, there may be limited availability of government funding to pay for these benefits.
About 41.7 million Americans, including 1.4 million Michiganders, receive SNAP benefits, typically through an electronic debit card which can be used at grocery stores nationwide. In a press release, Elizabeth Hertel, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services director, said losing SNAP funding will have drastic impacts on many families, and that the state will do what it can to minimize harm.
“SNAP is more than a food assistance program; it’s a lifeline for many Michigan families,” Hertel said. “It helps families put nutritious food on the table, supports local farmers and grocers, and strengthens our communities and economy. We are strongly disappointed by the USDA’s decision to delay this assistance, and in Michigan we will do what we can to help blunt this impact.”
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced in a press release Tuesday that she has joined a coalition of 22 other attorneys general and three governors in filing a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts against the USDA and Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins for the suspension.
The press release claims the suspension violates the Administrative Procedure Act, which governs the process by which federal agencies develop and issue regulations.
“While states are responsible for administering SNAP in their state, the federal government is obligated to fund and set the monthly amount of SNAP benefits,” the press release read. “Suspending SNAP benefits in this manner is both contrary to law and arbitrary and capricious under the Administrative Procedure Act. Where Congress has clearly spoken to provide that SNAP benefits should continue even during a government shutdown, USDA does not have the authority to say otherwise.”
On Friday, the USDA released a memo stating that it won’t use its emergency funding to distribute partial SNAP payments for next month if the government shutdown continues after Oct. 31. The USDA explains that the contingency fund is not available to support regular benefits for fiscal year 2026, as it is not considered an unforeseen event, which the contingency fund is meant for.
“Due to Congressional Democrats’ refusal to pass a clean continuing resolution (CR), approximately 42 million individuals will not receive their SNAP benefits come November 1,” the memo reads. “Instead, the contingency fund is a source of funds for contingencies, such as the Disaster SNAP program, which provides food purchasing benefits for individuals in disaster areas, including natural disasters like hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods, that can come on quickly and without notice.”
Nessel wrote in her press release that she believes the government shutdown should be considered an emergency to avoid a pause in benefits.
“Emergency funding exists for exactly this kind of crisis,” Nessel said. “If the reality of 42 million Americans going hungry, including 1.4 million Michiganders, isn’t an emergency, I don’t know what is. It is cruel, inhumane, and illegal to hold back emergency reserves while families struggle to put food on the table.”
Daily Staff Reporter Alyssa Tisch can be reached at tischaa@umich.edu.
