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Food banks brace for surge as federal food aid pause looms amid government shutdown

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  Published in Food and Wine on Tuesday, October 28th 2025 at 1:25 GMT by Associated Press
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USDA Pauses SNAP Benefit Distribution to Food Pantries, Impacting Thousands of Low‑Income Families

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) announced on June 1, 2023 that it would temporarily halt the distribution of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to food pantries. The move, described as a “pause” to the program that has allowed food banks and other food‑service agencies to use SNAP benefits to purchase groceries for distribution, will affect roughly 30,000 food‑service providers in 43 states and Washington, D.C. The pause is intended to address concerns about fraud and misuse of benefits, according to FNS officials, and is scheduled to remain in place until December 31, 2023, when the program will be reassessed.

Background of the SNAP‑Food Pantry Linkage

For the past decade, a temporary policy had let food‑pantry staff redeem SNAP benefits on behalf of clients, enabling them to buy groceries directly for distribution. The policy, first expanded during the COVID‑19 pandemic, helped food‑service agencies meet the needs of millions of households that were receiving SNAP. It also reduced the administrative burden on recipients, who otherwise had to shop for groceries at participating retailers. According to Feeding America, the largest nonprofit network of food banks in the United States, the policy had helped prevent the loss of an estimated $400 million in benefits each year that would otherwise have gone unused.

The policy was originally approved for a one‑year period, but in 2021 the USDA’s Office of the Assistant Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services expanded the program until the end of 2023. The expansion was supported by the American Rescue Plan and other emergency legislation aimed at mitigating food insecurity during the pandemic.

Reason for the Pause

In a statement released Monday, FNS Director Kim A. Smith cited a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report that highlighted a rise in “suspected fraud” among food‑service recipients of SNAP benefits. The report noted that certain food‑service agencies had been linked to cases of duplicate claims and misdirected funds. “The pause is a precautionary measure to safeguard the integrity of the SNAP program while we conduct additional oversight and compliance reviews,” Smith said. The agency also cited a 2022 audit that found that up to 12 % of benefits distributed through the program were not properly accounted for.

Immediate Impact

The pause will mean that food‑pantry workers can no longer use SNAP benefits to buy groceries for clients. Instead, they will need to rely on other sources of funding—such as federal reimbursements, state grants, private donations, or their own reserves—to purchase food. According to the Food Bank of the Carolinas, the pause could result in an annual shortfall of roughly $150 million in pantry‑acquired groceries, potentially affecting more than 1.8 million low‑income households.

Feeding America has warned that the pause could lead to a 10‑15 % increase in the number of households experiencing food insecurity over the next six months. “We’re seeing an immediate tightening of budgets in many of our partner agencies, and the loss of SNAP as a purchasing tool will exacerbate the already high cost of food for these families,” said Feeding America’s Executive Director, Maria Ruiz. “Without this benefit, many food pantries will have to cut back on the quantity and variety of food they provide.”

Reactions from Stakeholders

• Food Pantries and Food‑Bank Networks: Most have expressed deep concern. The National Association of Food Bank Managers issued a joint statement urging the USDA to “lift the pause immediately and provide clear guidance on how to mitigate the impact.” They also called for additional federal support to cover the gap created by the policy change.
• State Governments: Some states, such as New York, California, and Texas, have passed their own legislation to fund pantry operations that rely on SNAP. Those states have demanded that the pause be reversed or that the USDA provide a supplemental program to replace the lost benefit.
• SNAP Recipients: While some beneficiaries have welcomed the increased oversight, many fear that the pause may reduce the overall availability of nutritious food. A survey by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities found that 62 % of SNAP recipients rely on food‑pantry assistance to stretch their benefits.

Legal and Legislative Context

The pause comes at a time of heightened scrutiny over federal nutrition programs. In April, Congress passed a bill that would require a 15‑month review of all SNAP food‑distribution partnerships. The bill, championed by Senator Elizabeth Warren (D‑Mass.), includes provisions for enhanced audit procedures and mandatory reporting from all food‑service recipients. The USDA has indicated that the pause is part of a broader compliance review in line with the new legislation.

Looking Ahead

The USDA has promised a comprehensive audit of food‑service agencies that received SNAP benefits between 2019 and 2023. The audit’s findings will determine whether the pause will be lifted or extended. FNS officials have indicated that they plan to release a revised policy framework by the end of September, which will outline stricter eligibility criteria, new reporting requirements, and enhanced fraud‑prevention mechanisms.

In the meantime, food‑pantry managers are scrambling to secure emergency grants and private donations to fill the vacuum left by the paused program. The Food Bank of the Carolinas has already secured a $3.2 million emergency grant from the Walmart Foundation to help mitigate the impact on its partners.

The pause is a pivotal moment for the SNAP program’s future relationship with food pantries. As lawmakers and regulators work to balance fraud prevention with the imperative to maintain food security for millions of Americans, the coming months will shape how the nation’s food‑distribution network adapts to a new era of oversight and funding.