In the darkness of a movie theater Tuesday night, Brittany Montgomery opened her SNAP app to check for a payment. It was her son’s birthday and she had taken him out to celebrate.

When she saw that $355 had been loaded to her account, she felt a wave of relief. Montgomery, 38, lost her job as a hospital housekeeper three months ago and has seven children ages 8 to 19. By the time the movie ended, the Dollar General near her home in Avondale had closed, so she decided to buy groceries the next morning.

When she checked her app again Wednesday, the balance had vanished. “Payment expunged,” the screen read. Only 21 cents remained from her previous deposit.

At 8 a.m., she called the information line. They couldn’t tell her much. She cried the whole day.

“I tried the food bank up the street

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