- Over 65,000 Vermonters experienced a delay in receiving their November SNAP benefits.
- The state used $6 million in contingency money to cover two weeks of benefits, which may not be reimbursed.
- Food banks saw an increase in traffic during the delay and received state funds to bolster their supplies.
As planned, Vermont started issuing food stamp benefits for the first half of November at the end of last week, including the week’s worth of money that was delayed after the U.S. Department of Agriculture said it could not fund the program amid the federal shutdown.
The Vermont Department for Children and Families confirmed Nov. 6 that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits would be issued the following day.
The distribution of benefits came a few days after two federal judges ordered the Trump administration to release funding for the anti-hunger program — and as uncertainty about the issue in the courts grows.
Vermont paid for two weeks of SNAP benefits using $6 million in state contingency money, a decision made Oct. 29 by a state emergency board. Vermont may not be reimbursed for keeping SNAP afloat during the shutdown, Gov. Phil Scott said during that meeting.
Over 65,000 Vermonters enrolled in 3SquaresVT — Vermont’s version of SNAP — did not receive immediately receive their November benefits because the state had to build a new system to accommodate the funding source changes.
Should the shutdown continue, the emergency board — Scott, two state senators and two state representatives — will reconvene on Thursday to decide whether to pay for another two weeks of benefits. Since the new system is in place now, there shouldn’t be any delay if another payout is approved.
How Vermont food banks and shelves fared while SNAP benefits were delayed
To ensure SNAP recipients still had access to meals during the delay, the board allocated $250,000 to the Vermont Food Bank, which split the money between 56 food banks across the state that “said they could turn that money into food on the shelves quickly,” said John Sayles, Vermont Food Bank’s executive director.
The pantries and food shelves followed through, Sayles said. In one incidence, Capstone Community Action in Barre made a single order of 35,000 pounds of food, which is typically about how much Barre’s food pantries and food shelves deliver in a day combined, Sayles said.
No bare shelves were reported during the weeklong delay, but some food banks and pantries did see a quarter to double increase in traffic, with Rutland organizations seeing an especially large boost in visitors, Sayles said.
He added that food banks and pantries expect “elevated numbers” for the foreseeable future.
“There’s so much confusion,” Sayles said. “Everyone’s watching the news, hearing conflicting information about whether the federal government will or won’t be funding SNAP. It creates anxiety. People want to make sure they have food on their shelves, so they’re showing up more.”
But the one-time $250,000 allocation from the state will only “help for a small window of time,” Sayles said.
Megan Stewart is a government accountability reporter for the Burlington Free Press. Contact her at [email protected].
