Federal funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, used by 42 million Americans, is set to run dry on Saturday as the U.S. government shutdown continues.

An average of 41.7 million people, or 12.3 % of the U.S. population, received SNAP benefits each month in Fiscal Year 2024, according to the USDA. October 2025 reports indicate that about 42 million Americans participate in SNAP monthly.

The megabill further shuttered the SNAP-Ed, a federally funded grant program that "helps people make their SNAP dollars stretch, teaches them how to cook healthy meals, and lead physically active lifestyles," according to the program's website. Funding for SNAP-Ed ended Oct. 1.

The Michigan Senate supports creating a backup fund for SNAP food assistance in the state, but the House has yet to vote.

Virginia is launching an emergency program to ensure families don’t go hungry when federal SNAP benefits pause due to the government shutdown, becoming the first state in the nation to use state funds for food assistance benefits.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Sunday signaled that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits could restart as soon as this week. “There’s a process that has to be

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, which impacts roughly 42 million Americans, could resume as soon as Wednesday. His comments come days after two federal judges ruled that the administration must use contingency funds to make SNAP payments.