Oregonians on food stamps will not receive benefits after the end of the month if the federal government shutdown persists.
On Monday, the Oregon Department of Human Services began notifying the more than 750,000 people currently receiving benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, SNAP — informally known as food stamps — they will not get new benefits after Oct. 31.
Though if someone has a remaining balance on their account after the end of the month, they can still use it. Benefits usually get deposited into people’s accounts the first week of the month.
“This is a cruel and unacceptable situation. President Trump should focus on feeding families by negotiating a deal with Congress, not doing other things like deploying troops in American cities on taxpayers’ dime,” Gov. Tina Kotek said in a statement.
More than half of Oregonians that receive benefits are seniors, children and people with disabilities.
“In just a few days, thousands of Oregonians and millions more across the country will be forced to make impossible choices to feed their families because of Trump’s government shutdown,” Sen. Ron Wyden said. “This is one more casualty of failed Republican leadership. I stand ready to work with anyone that wants to protect health care, keep costs down, and restore this essential lifeline for kids and families.”
Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture sent a memo notifying state agencies to halt the process of distributing benefits for the month of November until further notice.
“SNAP has funding available for benefits and operations through the month of October,” the memo reads. “However, if the current lapse in appropriations continues, there will be insufficient funds to pay full November SNAP benefits for approximately 42 million individuals across the nation.”
It’s unclear how long it will take to turn SNAP benefits back on if Congress fails to pass a spending bill by the end of the month, a spokesperson from the state human services department told OPB.
That’s because Oregon contracts with a third-party processor that deposits money to people’s Electronic Benefits Transfer, or EBT, account. That same processor also contracts with approximately 30 other states, meaning they’ll have to process millions of accounts at the same time, which can overwhelm their systems.
“Due to the unprecedented and complex nature of this situation, ODHS’ EBT vendor that distributes federal SNAP money has not been able to give us a concrete timeline regarding the post-shutdown November SNAP issuance,” the spokesperson said.
The news comes after Congress failed to pass a short-term spending package earlier this month, shutting down the government. That means the federal government has yet to appropriate the hundreds of millions of dollars needed to administer the SNAP program in Oregon.
The bill has passed the U.S. House of Representatives but remains stalled in the U.S. Senate. Republicans have majority power in Congress, but their 53 seats are not enough to pass the package, which requires 60 yes votes. Democrats are seeking concessions from Republicans for their votes to reopen the government, including extensions on health care subsidies.
U.S. Rep. Cliff Bentz, Oregon’s sole Republican member of Congress, said he was “deeply concerned” about the prospect of many Oregonians losing access to the SNAP program, which he called “essential.”
“Let me be very clear: no family, no senior, and no veteran who has played by the rules should be caught in the crosshairs of a political impasse,” Bentz, who represents much of rural Eastern and Southern Oregon, said in a statement to OPB Monday.
Bentz accused Democratic Senators of having “essentially taken the nation hostage” by not voting to reopen the government unless Republicans agree to increase federal spending for health care. He called on Oregonians to contact Sens. Jeff Merkley and Wyden and urge them to vote to end the shutdown.
“Unfortunately, due to the Democrats in the Senate, we have come to a place where the agency can no longer fund administration of the program,” said Bentz. “There is a clear path to end this entirely.”
The announcement comes as Oregon began tightening eligibility requirements this month to comply with federal changes passed through Congressional Republicans’ tax and spending cut bill know as the One Big Beautiful Bill, which passed on July 4. Those changes include new work requirements in rural Oregon communities that have often been exempted from them.
That federal spending bill also removed work requirement exceptions for people experiencing homelessness, veterans and former foster youth. Refugees and asylum seekers are no longer eligible for any SNAP benefits.
“Children, seniors, and low-income families will go hungry as a result, yet another heartbreaking consequence of the Republican agenda,” U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, a Democrat, said in a statement Monday. “It’s wrong on every level, and I’ll continue to fight the Republican vision of ‘Families Lose, Billionaires Win’ at every turn.”
More than 3,500 retailers statewide participate in SNAP, generating $1.50 to $1.80 in economic activity for every dollar spent, according to the Oregon State Treasury.
