According to a report from The Texas Tribune, state officials on Friday began notifying the state’s poorest residents that their food benefits via the Supplemental Food Assistance and Nutrition Program, or SNAP, will be cut off in November if the federal shutdown continues past Oct. 27.
Statewide, that would mean a halt to more than $614 million distributed to about 3.5 million Texans who rely on monthly SNAP benefits, assistance formerly known as food stamps.
An estimated 1.7 million children would be impacted.
In Tom Green County, in 2022, a little over 12,000 residents received assistance through SNAP.
The Concho Observer reached out to the Concho Valley Regional Food Bank, and the San Angelo Food Bank supported from San Antonio, have been contacted for comment, and this story will be updated as we receive information.
Read the full article from the Texas Tribune here.
The development regarding SNAP benefits comes at a time when Federal employees are almost three weeks out without a paycheck. Some steps have been made in town to ease the pain:
UTILITIES – The City of San Angelo has suspended utility payments and cutoff for federal employees during the government shutdown.
TUITIONS – Angelo State University says that it will cover tuition and fees for any of its active-duty military students in the event that their military Tuition Assistance funding gets canceled due to the ongoing federal government shutdown.
RENTS – The Concho Observer has requested information from property management at The Boulevard and River Ranch apartments, along with Pinnacle Property Management all of whom were asked if rents would be suspended or deferred for federal employees in San Angelo. At the time of publish we have not received a response.
Statewide, the Texas Workforce Commission: federal workers affected by the government shutdown are considered “laid off” from their jobs. If you are affected by the government shutdown, you can apply for benefits as soon as the shutdown occurs.
Apply online here, or call 800-939-6631 to speak with a customer service representative.
Right now, little guidance is being given on what the next few weeks looks like for the over 130,000 federal employees in Texas.
With SNAP benefits running out in a few weeks, the existing system of food banks that already draw lines around city blocks might be pushed past it’s breaking point.
We will continue to update this story as developments arise.
