(NEXSTAR) – More than 40 million Americans are preparing to have federal food assistance cut off starting Saturday.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, will not be funded in November if the government shutdown continues, the United States Department of Agriculture has warned. The program provides food assistance to about 1 in 8 people in the U.S.

Low-income and no-income families rely on the monthly benefits, which typically reload automatically on an EBT card, to buy groceries. Each household's allotment depends on income and family size. The average is $187 per person per month.

While some states, like Virginia, are planning to use emergency funds to reload EBT cards, far more states are directing funds to food banks or telling residents to seek help from charities

See Full Page