Starting November 1, USDA Orders States to Withhold SNAP Benefits Due to Government Shutdown

More than 55,000 people in Santa Barbara County could find themselves short on money to buy food next month. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) has directed states to withhold SNAP benefits should the federal government shutdown continue to November. That deadline is fast approaching. 

SNAP, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, is the country’s largest food aid program. In California, SNAP is called CalFresh and the average benefit per person pencils out to about $6.20 a day. 

Erik Talkin, CEO of Foodbank of Santa Barbara County, said that the organization expects a significant increase in demand if SNAP benefits are withheld. He said he wants people to understand who receives the benefits. 

“The reality is that 40 percent are children, 22 percent are older adults, and 23 percent are younger adults, typically in college,” Talkin said in an email to the Independent. 

Santa Barbara County was recently listed as having the highest poverty rate of all counties in California, according to the Public Policy Institute of California. 

Talkin said that the Foodbank plans to increase food supplies for children, senior citizens, young adults, and adults with disabilities. He said the organization is communicating with Santa Barbara City College and Allan Hancock College to address student needs, and focusing on senior housing to help older adults. Doordash, he said, has waived delivery fees for November, so the organization can scale up home deliveries for disabled people. The Foodbank is also working with Santa Barbara County staff to help inform people of resources. 

The FoodBank has access to $300,000 from a state program that allows it to buy locally grown or made food. Talkin said they have the ability to use this money all at once, but if it is spent now, there will be none left for the remainder of the financial year.

On the state level, Governor Gavin Newsom said he plans to deploy the California National Guard to help food banks distribute food. The governor’s office has announced that it is fast tracking “upward of $80 million in state support.”

California Attorney General Rob Bonta, along with 23 other attorney generals, is suing the USDA over withholding SNAP benefits, saying the agency has billions of dollars in contingency funding to help keep the program going in November. The attorneys sent a letter to USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins last week that questioned how the USDA determined that withholding SNAP benefits was necessary, what the legal basis was for the decision, and whether the agency has a contingency plan for feeding those in need, among other things. 

Bonta called withholding the benefits “yet another new low” that should outrage California residents. “When will the president actually focus on ending the government shutdown? Day after day, his attention seems to be directed elsewhere, most recently toward his new $250 million White House ballroom,” he said. 

A USDA spokesperson said the contingency funds are not legally available to cover benefits and that transferring funding sources would put school meal and infant formula funding at risk. 

The USDA website displays a large banner message stating “the well has run dry” and blaming Democratic senators for the imminent loss in funding. 

Independent of the government shutdown, the Trump Administration’s Big Beautiful Bill cuts SNAP benefits by $186 billion through 2035. 

Resources:

If you’re in need of food and cannot afford it, here are a few local resources. 

1. Foodbank of Santa Barbara – South County Sharehouse – 80 Coromar Drive Goleta, CA 93117. Phone: (805) 967-5741
2. Foodbank of Santa Barbara – North County Sharehouse –  490 West Foster Road, Santa Maria, CA 93455. Phone: (805) 967-5741
3. 2-11 – If you need help finding food immediately, you can dial 2-11 on your phone. It’s a 24-hour phone line that will help you find resources in your area.