More than 350K MS families could lose food assistance amid government shutdown. Here’s when
As the federal government shutdown continues with no end in sight, some Mississippians are concerned about how that could impact their access to food.
More than 750,000 federal workers have already been furloughed and several essential workers have been forced to work without pay because of the shutdown, which on Oct. 22 became tied as the nation’s second-longest government shutdown in history, USA Today reported.
An average of 41.7 million Americans — including hundreds of thousands of Mississippi households — rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and other programs dependent on federal assistance to put food on the table each month, according to the latest United States Department of Agriculture data.
While Mississippi state officials have said SNAP and Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) benefits will continue through October, what comes after is bleak.
Here’s what you need to know.
Will SNAP benefits continue in MS during government shutdown?
SNAP benefits will continue through October, according to an Oct. 1 statement by the Mississippi Department of Human Services shared on X, formerly known as Twitter.
If the government shutdown continues into November, an estimated 357,042 Mississippi households who participated in the SNAP program as of May 2025 will not have access to these benefits, according to the MDHS and preliminary data from the USDA.
“The MDHS has received notification from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service that if the federal government shutdown continues, federally funded SNAP benefits for November will be unavailable,” a spokesperson for the MDHS told McClatchy News in an Oct. 22 email.
The USDA FNS directed the MDHS to put November SNAP issuance on pause for now, the spokesperson said.
Will WIC benefits continue in MS during government shutdown?
WIC benefits will also carry on through October, according to an Oct. 1 Mississippi State Department of Health news release.
“We are committed to ensuring that current participants continue receiving their benefits without interruption,” the agency said in the release.
However, MSDH has not announced plans for what may happen to WIC benefits if the shutdown continues past October.
McClatchy News reached out to the MSDH on Oct. 22 but did not receive an immediate response.
An estimated 70,100 women, infants and children participated in the program in Mississippi in 2021, according to the latest USDA data. WIC participants may lose access to benefits beginning in November.
What can you do if you lose access to SNAP or WIC?
- Find local food assistance
- Contact local charities and churches
- Contact your state’s social services
Where to get help in MS
Here’s where to find assistance in Mississippi, according to the MDHS:
Can you still apply for SNAP, WIC in MS during the shutdown?
Mississippians can still apply for SNAP benefits during the shutdown, despite benefits becoming unavailable if it continues past October, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
It’s also possible to still apply for WIC benefits, however, new applicants who aren’t pregnant, breastfeeding or high-risk infants will be placed on a waitlist until services fully resume, according to an Oct. 2 Mississippi State Department of Health news release.
