Georgia SNAP benefits to pause amid shutdown | What users must know now
Federal shutdown a month later and no deal in sight
The federal government has been shut down since Oct. 1 with many users of government subsidized programs about to lose all funding and pause payments. This will cause a ripple effect across Georgia. Here's the latest on the impact in the Peach State.
ATLANTA - The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in Georgia will pause at the end of this week due to a lack of federal funding.
This situation stems from Congress not passing a federal funding bill. SNAP is a permanent federal program, but its payments can be paused when funding is not approved.
What is SNAP?
Why you should care:
SNAP is one of the most widely used safety-net programs in Georgia, and a disruption in benefit delivery affects more people here than live in the entire city of Atlanta.
According to the Georgia Department of Human Services, roughly 1.6 million Georgians receive SNAP benefits, including children, seniors, and disabled adults. That represents about 1 in every 7 people in the state.
The direct impact would be millions of meals disappearing from household budgets. Food banks, already stressed by the government shutdown, will also see a dramatic spike in requests for aid as grocery stores, especially in rural and low-income areas, will see a significant drop in sales, further impacting local economies. Some economists have noted that SNAP dollars circulate immediately, so this also hits local economies regardless of your family’s needs.
HOW YOU CAN HELP THOSE IN NEED NOW
Hosea Helps on government shutdown needs
The ongoing federal government shutdown has led many who hold government positions without a paycheck for weeks. This is beginning to strain nonprofits who willingly step in to give a hand up to those in need.
SNAP changes in November
The backstory:
USDA has told states that without new federal funding during the shutdown, it cannot issue November SNAP benefits.
AP News and FOX News report the warning impacts roughly 42 million Americans, with grocers and food banks bracing for fallout.
Organizations like Atlanta Community Food Bank and Hosea Helps have already warned they cannot handle a statewide surge.
School districts know this means more students arriving hungry on Monday morning.
This affects everyone currently approved. Even families who just recertified or submitted paperwork on time. But it also has a broader economic impact.
Georgia Legislative Black Caucus on shutdown impact
The Georgia Legislative Black Caucus met at the Georgia State Capitol building to talk about the impact of the government shutdown and more.
Where does SNAP currently stand in Georgia?
What we know:
As of Oct. 28, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has directed states to suspend November 2025 SNAP issuances starting Nov. 1, until Congress and the administration restore funding or USDA changes its guidance. Georgia’s Department of Human Services has notified recipients of the pause. Existing EBT balances remain usable at authorized retailers.
For those who were approved and had November benefits loaded before Nov. 1, those funds can still be redeemed. The pause only applies to issuances scheduled on or after Nov. 1.
SNAP amounts were updated for the new federal fiscal year. For example, the FY 2025 maximum for a family of four in the 48 states and D.C. is $975 per month. Those standards remain in effect, pending federal funding.
Government shutdown impact on ATL
At Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Thursday morning, security lines were moving steadily at about a 25-minute wait, and only a handful of delays and cancellations were reported. But the concern is what could happen if the shutdown continues much longer.
The state cannot front federal SNAP dollars. Even if lawmakers wanted to, they legally do not control the pipeline. Only Congress and USDA can restore payments.
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Who will be hit first by SNAP cuts?
Nearly half of all SNAP recipients in Georgia are children. The next largest group is seniors and people with disabilities. These are not people who can simply "pick up extra hours" or "wait a week."
Approved households who would normally receive funds on or after Nov. 1 will wake up to empty accounts. Retailers, especially small independent grocers, will also feel it instantly. This is not about eligibility or fraud. It applies to every single legally approved household in Georgia if funding is not restored in time.
Georgia stroke survivor faces losing SNAP benefits amid shutdown
Wandalon Ezzard spends most of her days inside her home in Midtown Atlanta, resting in bed after suffering multiple strokes. Unable to work, Ezzard depends on her monthly SNAP benefits to buy groceries. Her caregiver, Pam, delivers her food each week. Now, she’s worried about how she’ll survive if those benefits stop coming amid the government shutdown.
Are SNAP benefits ending?
No. SNAP is a permanent federal program created by law. It is not ending. The shutdown is temporarily pausing new monthly benefits from being issued. USDA and Georgia officials say payments will resume when federal funds become available.
SNAP cuts: What you can do
Dig deeper:
- Keep using any funds already on your card. Existing EBT balances continue to work.
- Applications and renewals are still active. You can apply, upload documents, and renew through Georgia Gateway or at DFCS offices. New November payments cannot be issued until funding resumes.
- Watch for official updates. Georgia DHS is posting shutdown-related alerts and Q&As. Check Georgia Gateway or DHS channels for changes.
- Retailers remain open to EBT. The pause affects distributing new funds, not spending current ones.
- Apply, renew, upload documents, or check status at Georgia Gateway. Paper renewals may also be submitted to DFCS by mail or in person.
- Check official DHS updates on the shutdown and benefits. That is where restart notices will appear first.
- If this pause affects you, you may contact your elected representatives in the House and Senate to share your concerns.
- If you are unaffected by the shutdown or the SNAP benefits being paused, consider donating to a local food bank or to a church fund which directly helps those in need.
No SNAP benefits November: Here are free local resources
The USDA announced that SNAP benefits would become unavailable starting Nov. 1 due to the ongoing government shutdown. FOX LOCAL's Judayah Murray shares a free resource to help you find food assistance in your zip code.
SNAP funding unknowns
What we don't know:
It is not yet clear when Congress will pass a spending bill to restore SNAP funding or whether Georgia families could see benefit delays beyond November.
It is also unknown how many households will exhaust their balances before federal action is taken, or whether schools and food banks are preparing formal contingency plans if the shutdown stretches toward the holidays.
Officials have not said if EBT systems could see outages or transaction errors during the pause, meaning if the system would experience issues as a result of the shutdown.
It is not clear how this will impact the economy or stock market, particularly heading into the normally busy holiday shopping season.
How long will the shutdown last?
What's next:
The House of Representatives has been out of session since late September, holding only pro forma placeholder sessions with no legislative business being conducted.
The last funding bill was passed in the House on Sept. 19.
'Big, beautiful bill' impact on SNAP benefits
President Donald Trump's sweeping agenda bill now passed by congress could leave thousands of Georgians without food benefits. Why Atlanta's largest food bank says this should worry everyone and why Republican lawmakers say they concerns are overblown.
As of Oct. 28, there are no votes scheduled in the House.
The Senate has remained in session and has held votes, but repeated efforts to pass stopgap funding bills have failed.
The Source: The details in this article come from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Georgia Department of Human Services, Georgia Gateway / DFCS, the Congressional Record, the Atlanta Community Food Bank, and Hosea Helps. FOX News and the Associated Press contributed to this report. Previous FOX 5 Atlanta reports were also used.