SNAP benefits

There’s uncertainty about how long before life will be back to normal for the 1.4 million Ohioans who lost food assistance benefits during the shutdown.

NNEMAP Food Pantry on 11th Avenue near the state fairgrounds saw its busiest day since it first opened in the 1950s on Tuesday. Demand and previous state cuts are starting to impact supply.

Millions in state money is headed to Ohio food banks and some SNAP recipients wiill get a share, but not all.

The Trump administration has agreed to fund SNAP benefits for the nation through money from an Agriculture Department contingency fund. But, these funds equate to only half of the typical benefits disseminated, and recipients could expect delays.

Central Ohio nonprofit groups are scrambling to prepare, in case federal funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, runs out this weekend.

Around 1.4 million Ohio residents receive a total of $264 million in SNAP benefits every month. That breaks down to a monthly average of $190 in SNAP benefits per person.

1.4 million Ohioans currently rely on SNAP or food stamps.

The 1.4 million Ohioans in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, will see their food benefits end if the federal shutdown drags on through November.

If the shutdown continues into November, many SNAP, WIC, or TANF recipients in Ohio could lose funds they rely on to avoid going hungry.

The Trump administration will now limit SNAP eligibility to mostly U.S. citizens and green card holders. That means coverage ends for most other legal immigrants starting in November.