JARRETT GOODMAN
Staff Writer
Tennesseans provided with food stamps through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) may lose their benefits beginning this November due to the government shutdown in Washington D.C.
Tennessee is among one of twenty five states to lose funding for the program beginning Saturday, Nov. 1. The cutbacks stem from the U.S. government’s shutdown that first began on Oct. 1.
The shutdown was caused by a disagreement between the Republican and Democratic parties regarding the 2026 Fiscal Year’s federal budgeting, and how federal funds are to be allocated. The 2026 Fiscal Year officially began Oct. 1, right as the previous federal budget for 2025 expired. The disagreement stems from the Democratic Party aiming to provide an extension of expiring tax credits that allows for cheaper health insurance across the nation. However, because of President Donald Trump’s significant cutbacks and layoffs in different programs such as Medicaid, an agreement between both parties was not met.
Through a memo released by the Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS), over 690,000 residents across the state will be unable to receive food aid starting Nov. 1 if the shutdown remains. One in ten residents depend on SNAP benefits each month and receive $340 on average through food stamps.
Currently, TDHS officials are on the lookout for the federal government’s reopening. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has also notified Tennessee and other states affected that works to find a solution to the SNAP cutbacks are underway despite the ongoing nationwide closure.