U.S. officials are warning SNAP benefits could be delayed next month if Congress doesn’t approve a new spending bill.

Here’s what to know about SNAP benefits as the government shutdown continues:

SNAP benefits

FILE - A shopper looks at a sales advertisement at a grocery store in West Milton, Ohio, on Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025. Photographer: Kyle Grillot/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The backstory:

The Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, known as SNAP or food stamps, is a federal program that provides food assistance to 40 million low-income people - meaning nearly 1 in 8 people receive the benefit each month. The money comes on prepaid cards that they can use for groceries.

By the numbers:

In the accounting year that ended on Sept. 30, 2024, SNAP cost just over $100 billion, incl

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