(This story has been updated with additional information.)
Hoosiers who rely on the Supplement Nutrition Assistance Program for food will get partial benefits at least one week later than normal because of the federal government shutdown, and some won’t get any help at all.
After two federal judges ruled the Trump administration must continue to fund SNAP, it reduced benefits so the program could be covered by its emergency fund. Those benefits are delayed, the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration announced Nov. 5, because it must apply a revised formula to determine the reduced allotments.
The federal government halved maximum monthly benefits, with totals varying by household size. A household’s allotment is calculated by subtracting 30% of a household’s monthly net income from the maximum.
For some people with the incomes on the higher end of eligibility, that means they will receive zero dollars in benefits for November, unless full funding is restored or the formula is changed.
“We understand the urgency of this situation and are working swiftly to complete the recalculations and resume benefit issuance as soon as possible,” FSSA said in the announcement.
The government shutdown became the longest in modern history the evening of Nov. 4 with no clear end. Indiana’s 24,000 civilian federal workers have gone without pay while Hoosiers on SNAP have worried about how they will keep themselves and their loved ones fed.
Contact Marissa Meador at mmeador@gannett.com or find her on X at @marissa_meador.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Hoosiers on SNAP will get partial benefits at least a week late, state says
Reporting by Marissa Meador, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
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