For many Americans, 2025 has been tough economically. Tariffs have raised the price of goods from coffee to clothing, inflation is still rising, and more than 1 million jobs have been cut since January.

Then came the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, which furloughed some 670,000 federal workers. Another roughly 730,000 had to keep working, just without pay, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center. And amid that came a pause in SNAP benefits, which left 42 million Americans without the food stamps that help them afford groceries.

SoLo Funds, a community finance platform, has seen the impact of these events firsthand. Requests for loans on the SoLo platform relating to EBT and SNAP increased 32% since October 1, compared to the year prior.

Loan requests relating to the gover

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