New Yorkers panicked Saturday as their SNAP benefits officially ran out — making the prospect of going hungry very real for millions, as the government shutdown approached its second month.

Cash-strapped shoppers tried to stretch their dough as best they could as they faced the reality of shopping without government assistance, after Senate Democrats blocked a government funding bill 13 times in six weeks — keeping the critical food program offline.

“SNAP is the backbone of the urban bread basket. When you choke that, you choke everything, everybody,” Shamika Hough told The Post as he shopped for his family at E & Y Deli in the Bronx Saturday morning.

Sausages and orange juice at the supermarket cost him $28 — a hardship since the personal care assistant was already stretching a

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