By Guy Page
Paying SNAP benefits during shutdown would cost $3 million per week.
Vermont lawmakers are working closely with Governor Phil Scott’s administration to determine how to keep food assistance flowing to more than 65,000 Vermonters as the federal shutdown threatens to halt Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) payments.
Conor Kennedy, Chief of Staff for House Speaker Jill Krowinski, said the Legislature and administration are coordinating efforts to assess the state’s options. “There are a lot of unknowns at the moment that Vermont and all states across the country are trying to navigate,” Kennedy said.
If the government shutdown persists after November 1, the $3 million per week would to pay the benefits would be paid from a reserve fund, Kennedy said.
Kennedy noted that states are questioning why the Trump administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture have declined to use their $6 billion contingency fund to maintain SNAP benefits during the shutdown. “In President Trump’s first term, they were prepared to use the fund during the 2018 shutdown but didn’t need to because it ended before that step was necessary,” he said.
Without federal action, Vermont may use its own contingency reserves — money set aside during the legislative session for emergencies such as this. The state’s monthly SNAP cost is roughly $12 million, or $3 million per week. “We are well positioned to support this program as well as LIHEAP,” Kennedy said.
Officials are also examining whether certain direct cash benefits to seniors and disabled Vermonters will continue to be funded federally, which could lower the state’s total cost.
“Right now, the focus is on making sure Vermonters who rely on these benefits aren’t left behind,” Kennedy said.