As the partial government shutdown extends into day three, many Wisconsinites are likely wondering about the status of federal food assistance programs.
Services and agencies deemed essential — like Social Security, law enforcement and mail services — have guaranteed funding during a government shutdown. But others, including food assistance programs, are relying on contingency plans to keep serving Americans as the shutdown continues without an end in sight.
In Wisconsin, nearly 700,000 residents rely on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, and more than 130,000 residents use annual benefits from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
Here’s what to know about the availability of these food assistance programs in Wisconsin amid the shutdown:
Will federally funded food assistance programs in Wisconsin continue during a government shutdown?
As of Oct. 1, SNAP and WIC programs are continuing through the shutdown.
In shutdown contingency plans posted Sept. 30, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said SNAP and WIC will continue “subject to the availability of funding.”
It’s unclear how long that funding will be available, but the document also said the Office of Management and Budget had committed in May to funding SNAP through the month of October.
Will food pantries remain open in Wisconsin during a government shutdown?
Wisconsin food banks remain open during a government shutdown, but an extended shutdown would likely strain resources for local pantries, according to according to Cameron Wengrzyn, marketing and communications director for Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin.
With food banks in Milwaukee and Appleton, Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin works with a network of nearly 400 food pantries to serve more than 500,00 Wisconsinites.
A prolonged government shutdown would increase demand across Feeding America’s partner organizations, as SNAP and WIC may face disruptions and furloughed federal employees may also start needing food assistance, Wengrzyn told the Journal Sentinel in an email.
“At Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin, we are preparing for the possibility of heightened demand at our food pantry partners across our 35-county service area, many of which are already stretched thin due to rising need throughout 2025,” Wengrzyn said. “While we remain committed to meeting this challenge, we know that sustained disruptions could deepen food insecurity for thousands of households.”
What happens during a government shutdown?
During a government shutdown, all non-essential federal agencies and services must stop working, which can affect thousands of federal workers and millions of Americans.
Wisconsin has about 18,000 civilian federal workers, according to the Office of Personnel Management. Some of these workers will be furloughed, while the ones providing essential services will continue working.
Why is the government shut down?
This government shutdown comes after congressional Democrats and Republicans failed to agree on a continuing resolution to fund the government before the deadline.
Last week, Republicans passed a stopgap funding bill, but Democrats have demanded the bill extend Affordable Care Act insurance plan subsidies and restore some of the Medicaid funding that was cut in President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill.”
Republicans refused, and without a temporary funding measure, the shutdown began at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 1.
When will the government shutdown end?
The shutdown will end when Congress passes and Trump signs an appropriations bill to fund the federal departments and agencies that are currently suspending operations.
It’s unclear how long that will take. The last government shutdown was in 2018, during Trump’s first term, and stretched on for a record 35 days.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Here’s what a government shutdown means for SNAP benefits and food banks in Wisconsin
Reporting by Cailey Gleeson and Maia Pandey, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
