WIC, SNAP benefits at risk in Georgia if shutdown continues
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios
Food assistance programs may be at risk if Congress is unable to reach a funding agreement to stop the government shutdown in the coming weeks.
Why it matters: Millions of mothers, infants and low-income families who rely on WIC and SNAP — commonly known as food stamps — could lose that support in a long-term shutdown.
State of play: WIC could run out of funds within weeks, and SNAP enrollees are also vulnerable.
- WIC, known in full as the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, served approximately 6.7 million participants every month in fiscal year 2024.
- Existing federal funds may keep WIC running for one to two weeks, but after that, millions of pregnant women, new mothers and young children could lose access to healthy foods.
What they're saying: Eric Jens, a spokesperson with the Georgia Department of Public Health, told Axios that while there are a few "potential impacts pending" due to the shutdown, WIC clinics across the state remain open and are providing services.
- "DPH leaders are closely monitoring the shutdown and its impacts, as well as assessing other funding sources for programs that may be affected by the shutdown, depending on its duration," he said.
How it works: WIC funding is allocated quarterly from the USDA to states, but with the shutdown starting at the beginning of the fiscal year, states are left with just $150 million in contingency funds to keep the programs afloat.
- States can tap unspent funds from the last fiscal year, but they may need to use their own tax dollars until Congress restores full funding.
- The U.S. Office of Management and Budget has committed funding for SNAP — which supports more than 40 million Americans monthly — through October, but it hasn't confirmed how long funds would last after that.
By the numbers: About 1.4 million Georgians receive SNAP benefits, according to the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute.
- "As the Georgia Department of Public Health's single largest source of federal funds, WIC operations will likely be strained by the fact that the government is shutting down at the start of the federal fiscal year," GBPI said last week.
- SNAP, or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, benefits slated to be released for November and beyond could be affected without the additional federal dollars, the nonprofit added.
Flashback: The 2019 shutdown during President Trump's first term also put SNAP and WIC at risk.
- While SNAP benefits continued, participants received February benefits earlier than normal — in mid-January — leaving some households with a gap of up to 40 days before March benefits arrived.
- WIC remained operational, but providers warned that a longer shutdown could force states to freeze new applications or even close clinics.
What we're watching: Which political party will blink first and how long people who depend on these programs will have to wait before that happens.