EBT Cards to Be Cancelled in November: Millions of New Yorkers Face Food Aid Cutoff Amid Federal Shutdown
NEW YORK — Millions of Americans, including nearly three million New Yorkers, could soon lose access to their EBT cards as the federal government announced it will halt SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) payments in November due to the ongoing government shutdown.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) confirmed in an online notice that it will not use roughly $5 billion in contingency funds to keep food assistance flowing. As a result, recipients of federal food aid will not receive their next scheduled benefits on November 1.
“Bottom line, the well has run dry,” the USDA statement read. “At this time, there will be no benefits issued on November 01.”
SNAP, which helps low-income families afford groceries, supports roughly one in eight Americans — or nearly 42 million people nationwide. In New York alone, about 2.9 million residents depend on the program, representing 15 percent of the state’s population. Over 52 percent of recipients in the state live in families with children, while nearly 46 percent are in households with older adults or individuals with disabilities.
The federal shutdown, which began on October 1, is now the second-longest in U.S. history. While the administration previously ensured October’s SNAP benefits were distributed, the November halt threatens to leave millions of households without money for food.
Governors across the country have expressed alarm at the looming crisis. Officials in Louisiana, Vermont, and Virginia have pledged to use state resources to continue food assistance temporarily. However, many states face legal and technical barriers that could delay or prevent emergency funding from reaching families in time.
The USDA’s notice attributed the shutdown to Senate Democrats, while New York Governor Kathy Hochul placed the blame on Republican lawmakers.
“My message to Washington Republicans is simple: Unfreeze our food assistance funding, go back to the negotiating table, and re-open the government,” Hochul posted on X (formerly Twitter).
If no agreement is reached in the coming days, the cancellation of EBT cards and the suspension of federal food aid could leave millions of families, seniors, and working parents without the means to purchase basic groceries.
