Starting Nov. 1, the Arizona Department of Economic Security is set to suspend Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) assistance, affecting more than 900,000 Arizonans. Most of the state’s SNAP recipients are families with children, and the majority have incomes below the poverty line.
The suspension is part of a broader, nationwide interruption in benefits resulting from the ongoing federal government shutdown. Nationally, approximately 42 million Americans receive SNAP assistance.
Federal law authorizes the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which administers the program, to tap into SNAP’s contingency reserve when regular funding lapses, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. The Center argues the administration has both the legal authority and practical means — such as releasing the contingency funds or shifting other resources — to prevent an interruption in food assistance.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
The Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs, or quick-response fact checks, about trending claims relating to Arizona.
Sources
- Nutrition Assistance, Arizona Department of Economic Security
- Arizona Nutrition Assistance, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) – Key Statistics and Research, U.S. Economic Research Service
- Trump Administration Is Legally Required to Provide SNAP in Shutdown, Contrary to Its Claims, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
- The Trump Administration Can and Should Take Available Steps to Ensure SNAP Participants Get November Food Benefits, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
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The Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting is partnering with Gigafact to produce timely fact briefs, or quick-response fact checks, about trending claims relating to Arizona.
