CHICAGO, Illinois (KCRG) - The U.S. Department of Agriculture says it will not fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program if the government shutdown extends into November.

The decision would impact around 42 million people across the country who rely on SNAP benefits to buy food.

In Iowa, more than 259,000 people rely on SNAP benefits, or eight percent of the state’s population. In Illinois, the program serves nearly 1.9 million individuals across one million households every month.

To qualify for SNAP, a family of four must earn less than about $40,500 a year. The average SNAP benefit is $170 a month per person in the household.

The USDA sent a letter to state agencies last week saying there would not be enough funding to pay for the entirety of November benefits. It also told

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