Georgia SNAP benefits shutdown: 1.5M residents brace for food aid pause

ATLANTA - The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in Georgia is set to pause at the end of the week as federal funding runs out.

With the government shutdown dragging into its 30th day, millions of families across the country are facing the loss of food assistance, including about 1.5 million people in Georgia.

Senators returned to Capitol Hill on Wednesday, but negotiations remain stalled as Republicans and Democrats continue to blame one another over spending cuts tied to healthcare and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. The impasse means the program could pause as soon as next week, leaving families without their regular monthly benefits.

"They're bowing to demands of their far-left base, and no one can deny that. The facts are very clear," House Speaker Mike Jonnson said. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries countered that "this is not a fight for Democrats or Republicans. It's a fight for the American people. And we're going to stand on the side of the health care of the American people."

Atlanta mayor: ‘We cannot replace SNAP’

What we know:

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens on Tuesday announced an emergency initiative called ATL CARES to help residents affected by the shutdown. The program will pause residential water shutoffs for nonpayment and ask city-affiliated housing agencies to suspend evictions and late fees through Jan. 31, 2026.

"The city recognizes that the potential lapse in federal SNAP benefits poses an urgent threat to food security for thousands of residents," Dickens said. "No resident should go hungry or wonder how they’ll feed their family because of political gridlock."

Dickens said federal lawmakers informed him that SNAP reloads will stop on Nov. 5 unless funding is restored. Recipients will still be able to spend any remaining October benefits until their balances run out.

SNAP shutdown: Who will get hit hardest?

By the numbers:

SNAP provides food benefits for more than 40 million Americans, including more than a million children, families, seniors, and disabled adults in Georgia. Advocates warn that if the shutdown continues, food banks and community pantries will be pushed to the breaking point.

The Atlanta Community Food Bank is using $5 million from its reserves to distribute an additional six million pounds of food over the next month. "We can fill part of the gap," president and CEO Kyle Waide said, "but we need the government to reopen so we can restore funding to the SNAP program."

More than 17,000 Atlanta Public Schools students rely on SNAP, and educators say hunger could quickly spill into classrooms if benefits lapse. "This is a human issue," Superintendent Brian Johnson said. "It’s hard to teach a hungry child who’s worried about how their family will eat." Johnson said APS will expand its food hubs and grocery distributions while urging families to seek help through the district’s "APS Food Now" program. "Every child deserves security," he said. "We will not allow our students to be without."

Get more details on the upcoming SNAP suspension:

• What users must know now
• How you can help those impacted by upcoming pause
• Where you can get free food in metro Atlanta
• How to get free or discounted groceries
• Atlanta pauses evictions, water shutoffs

Dom Kelly, president of New Disabled South, said disabled Georgians face disproportionate harm if SNAP benefits stop next week. "In Georgia, one-third of adults are disabled," he said. "Food insecurity and poverty rates for disabled people are twice as high as for everyone else." His organization has received more than 8,000 emergency aid requests from Georgia residents seeking as little as $100 to buy food. "We have a $14.6 billion state surplus," Kelly said. "It would take 0.1 percent of that to keep people from going hungry. There’s no reason this state can’t step up."

Early childhood advocates warn that the federal shutdown could close several Head Start programs across Georgia, cutting off care and nutrition for hundreds of preschoolers. "In Southeast Georgia, ActionPact, which serves over 500 children, has announced it can no longer provide services," said Mindy Binderman of the Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students. "Those kids receive two hot meals and a snack each day. Without SNAP and Head Start, their families lose both food and child care." Binderman called the situation "a crisis for working parents and a moral test for lawmakers."

In Georgia’s rural counties, residents depend on SNAP at nearly twice the rate of those in metro areas, according to census data. About 17 percent of people in small towns and rural areas use the benefit, compared with roughly 11 percent in cities. "These areas already have fewer grocery stores and fewer resources," said Ife Finch-Floyd of the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute. "When SNAP stops, it doesn’t just hurt families. It hurts the local stores that rely on that spending." She said the gap underscores long-standing inequities between urban and rural Georgia.

Nonprofit leaders across Georgia are now preparing for a surge in demand. Ebony McClendon of Intown Cares said her organization expects a 50 percent increase in visits within weeks. "When government benefits are disrupted, nonprofits like ours are the first ones at the forefront of these issues," she said.

Experts say that without intervention, Georgia could see long-term effects on public health, education and local economies. About $3 billion in federal SNAP funds flow into the state each year, supporting grocery stores, farmers and food distributors. In rural areas, roughly 17 percent of residents rely on SNAP, compared with about 11 percent in metro regions.

Food stamps and EBT benefits

What they're saying:

"We should always put people above our partisan divide," said Stacey Fox, president and CEO of the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute. "SNAP funding has never before seen a gap like this. This is a matter of political will on both the federal and the state level."

Stacey Fox said Georgia has never experienced an interruption in SNAP benefits before, even during previous shutdowns. Without action in Washington, she warned, families could face impossible choices between food, medicine and rent.

Ethan Floyd of the Georgia Policy and Business Institute said community organizations are already seeing the strain. "Food banks and community pantries cannot carry this burden alone," he said. "The Governor’s Office, the Department of Human Services and other state leaders can learn from states that are already planning to provide state-funded food assistance and can learn the lessons of previous cash payments paid out to SNAP clients a few years ago."

At the Atlanta Community Food Bank, President and CEO Kyle Waide said demand for food assistance has risen 70 percent in the past three and a half years, largely due to inflation. "Lines are already very long at food pantries across Atlanta and North Georgia," Waide said. "We’re already serving more people than we did at the peak of the pandemic, and that’s before any of the impact from the shutdown."

Jasmine Crowe-Houston, founder and CEO of Gooder, said the looming pause in SNAP benefits hits close to home. "When I started building Gooder back in 2016, I was a SNAP recipient," she said. "That support meant the world to me. It allowed me to eat, to think, and to dream." Crowe-Houston said grocery prices have risen nearly 50 percent in the past decade, turning food into a luxury many families can’t afford. "We are not just talking about policy," she said. "We’re talking about real people, families, seniors, and children wondering what they’ll eat tomorrow."

Public health and child development experts say even a short disruption in food benefits can have lasting effects. Research links steady SNAP access to better nutrition, school performance, and medication adherence. "When people lose SNAP, they often have to choose between buying groceries and refilling prescriptions," said Ife Finch-Floyd of the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute. Mindy Binderman of the Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students said young children are especially vulnerable. "Consistent access to healthy meals is vital between birth and age three," she said. "It shapes brain development, behavior, and long-term health."

Advocates say Georgia has the financial capacity to temporarily help residents losing SNAP benefits. The state’s surplus stands at about $14.6 billion, with more than $9 billion in reserves. "Georgia can afford to help," said Finch-Floyd of GBPI. "If federal leaders don’t act, the state should already be planning to support Georgians who will lose food assistance." But Gov. Brian Kemp has indicated he does not plan to use state funds, arguing the federal government must resolve the shutdown. Economists estimate Georgia receives about $3 billion in SNAP funding each year.

RELATED:

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• Atlanta nonprofit hosts Harvest of Hope event to help families facing SNAP cuts
• What to know about SNAP benefits as government shutdown continues

The state has made clear it cannot replace federal benefits. "The SNAP program is federally funded. There is no mechanism by which the state can replace benefits on customer cards," a statement from Gov. Brian Kemp’s office read. "Additionally, the Office of Management and Budget has informed all states across the country that it cannot reimburse any state funds expended on federal programs."

SNAP relief?

What's next:

For now, Dickens and nonprofit partners are asking residents to donate food or money and to volunteer at distribution sites across Atlanta. "We cannot replace SNAP," Dickens said. "But we can help fill the gap until Washington does its job."