Every bit of single mother, Nicole Thomson’s, grocery budget just dropped to zero. SNAP benefits, known as food stamps, ran out Nov. 1 after the government shutdown Oct. 1.
Government shutdowns occur when Congress doesn’t approve a budget to keep federal agencies running. The current shutdown started on Oct. 1, 2025, after lawmakers couldn’t agree on how much money to spend on foreign aid and health insurance programs. In the month since the shutdown, about 900,000 federal workers were sent home without work and another 2 million are working without getting paychecks.
While Congress and the White House have historically averted prolonged government shutdowns that would disrupt social-safety-net programs, the October debates created anxiety for more than 3.1 million Texans, including 1.7 million children, who depend on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
After Congress failed to resolve the government shutdown on Oct. 27, the U.S. Department of Agriculture directed states to suspend November 2025 SNAP issuances, marking the first time benefits have been interrupted since the program began more than six decades ago. For the more than 40 million Americans who receive SNAP each month, November’s $8 billion in benefits, including $614 million for Texas alone, won’t arrive.
For Thomson and her two children, that loss devastates.
“It looks like me possibly taking on a second job, being away from home more, not being able to be with my children and have time for myself and them,” Thomson said. “It (being without SNAP benefits) just means more work and less, really, less of a good outcome.”
While some states like Louisiana, Vermont, and Virginia have pledged to continue disbursing benefits using state funds, and a coalition of 25 states have sued the administration to force the use of the USDA’s $5 billion reserve for unexpected expenses. Millions of families nationwide are now left scrambling to food banks and making hard decisions about which bills can wait. The safety net has disappeared.
The Math Isn’t Mathing
Thomson, who works full-time as a case manager for Teleperformance, said her grocery costs doubled in recent years while her wages stayed flat.
“What I used to be able to buy for $300 is almost $600,” Thomson said.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, food prices have increased since 2021. Food price increases are measured using the Consumer Price Index, which tracks the average change in prices consumers pay for groceries over time. Median household income has grown approximately 18% from 2021 to 2024, despite a 24.1% increase in food prices over the same period. This 6% gap means that families have lost purchasing power for groceries despite earning more dollars.
SNAP benefits, averaged $187.20 per person monthly in 2024, according to the USDA, help bridge that gap for low-income families. Benefits typically continue during short-term shutdowns because they receive mandatory funding. However, shutdowns lasting longer than 30 days drain the program’s resources, leaving families without benefits.
More Than Money
For families, such as Thomson’s, already stretching every dollar, the delay means more than an inconvenience. It means immediate stress that ripples through entire households.
“Children feel the stress,” Thomson said. “They can feel like their parents are struggling, and then that can factor into their stress and their views on life in general.”
A 2023 study by JAMA Pediatrics found that not having access to sufficient, good-quality food to meet basic needs increases behavioral problems, like anxiety and depression in children. The American Academy of Pediatrics calls food insecurity a significant health concern, stunting growth physically and academically.
Healthy Choices Need Resources
When budgets are tight, Thomson said healthy food often becomes a luxury.
“Healthy food is more expensive and it’s harder to come by,” Thomson said. “Food stamps actually does help me be able to buy some of those more healthier options. When I don’t have it, it’s definitely going to have to be cheap, processed food.”
A 2024 analysis by the Economic Research Service found that meeting daily fruit and vegetable recommendations costs approximately $2.50 to $3.00 per day. For a family of four, that adds up to more than $300 monthly.
The Bigger Picture
Thomson’s frustration includes economic policy and political priorities.
“Half of the people on food stamps or any kind of government assistance wouldn’t need to be if the job market provided you with a pay that made you capable of living in a house and buying your own food,” Thomson said.
According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 76% of SNAP recipients in Texas live in households with children. Most working-age SNAP recipients with children have jobs, they just don’t make enough money to cover basic living expenses like rent and groceries.
“Just because somebody is on benefits that they’ve applied and they’ve become eligible for, there shouldn’t be a stigma or stipulation of how they choose to use that money to feed themselves,” Thomson said.
Thomson also called for a shift in political priorities.
“They (Congress and politicians) ignore hunger and homelessness,” Thomson said. “Empathy is placed in the wrong places. It’s not placed in other human beings. It’s placed in status.”
What Happens Now?
The Senate failed to reach a funding agreement on Oct. 30, extending the government shutdown and confirming that SNAP benefits will not be issued in November.
Two federal judges have ordered the Trump administration to use emergency funds to provide at least partial benefits, President Trump acknowledged on Friday that payments will be delayed while states process them.
Thomson says the fix should be simple.
“Food and eating are a basic necessity and should be provided regardless of someone’s race, income, gender,” Thomson said.
