Nearly 2 million residents in Los Angeles and Orange counties could face food insecurity next month, as a federal government shutdown impacts the disbursement of CalFresh payments in November.

Nearly 1.5 million Los Angeles County residents receive CalFresh benefits, according to county Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger. In Orange County, more than 310,000 residents receive the benefits, according to the county Social Services Agency.

The nearly monthlong shutdown means — at minimum — a delay in November benefits for about 42 million Americans, including 5.5 million in California, according to the state. More than 63% of California’s SNAP participants are children or elderly.

CalFresh is the California version of the federal food assistance program also known as the Supplemental

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