The Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR) announced on Monday, Oct. 27 that SNAP benefits will be suspended for November.
Any SNAP benefit recipients who still have benefits left from October, you must spend them before the week is over.
All of this comes as the government shutdown stretches into nearly a month. Lawmakers are working to keep SNAP funded, but in the meantime, families in our area are worried.
A mother with a newborn baby told WBRC that her SNAP benefits are already gone, and she doesn’t know how she’ll feed her child. Another man, 63, said that without these benefits, he’s not sure where his next meal will come from.
“The babies have to eat. Something has to be done. Something’s got to give. We got to eat,” said one SNAP recipient who didn’t want to show his face or share his name.
He said he’s worried about how the government shutdown will affect his SNAP benefits after the news of November’s benefits being suspended was shared.
“It’ll impact me because I won’t have enough money to get by every month. Social Security can only go so far,” he said.
More than 300,000 Alabama households depend on SNAP benefits — including over 300,000 children. With more people turning to food assistance, organizations like the Community Food Bank of Central Alabama say they’re already feeling the strain.
Nicole Williams, CEO of the Community Food Bank of Central Alabama, said the government shutdown is creating a crisis for families.
“Honestly, the government shutdown is a crisis for many families. We expect to see longer lines and more people needing food. Earlier this year, the USDA cut about three million pounds of food — that’s two and a half million meals we can’t provide in 2025. We’ll probably be feeding fewer people this year,” Williams said.
Adrian Anderson, SNAP coordinator for the Community Food Bank, echoed that concern.
“A lot more people will go hungry without those supplemental benefits to help them budget for food each month,” Anderson said.
Both women say the shutdown could create a crisis for thousands of Alabama families.
Today, Senator Katie Britt announced her support for the Keep SNAP Funded Act, a plan to keep benefits flowing during the shutdown. “My team and I will stay in touch with state officials as we work toward solutions that ease the pain countless Alabamians and Americans are feeling due to Democrats’ selfishness.”
Recipients say help can’t come soon enough.
“They’re playing games in Congress, from what I understand. One side wants one thing, and the other wants something different. I’m sure they’ll compromise, but when? Who’s going to start?” another recipient said.
Alabama Congresswoman Terri Sewell also weighed in on the suspension, “The bottom line is that the Trump Administration does not need to cut off benefits for November. They are choosing to do so instead of releasing the billions in SNAP contingency funding that Congress made available for situations like this. They are choosing to let families go hungry.”
