Gov. Walz announced state funding Monday to help Minnesotans who receive monthly Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.

Without SNAP benefits, one of the only options is food shelves, which many SNAP recipients already use. The average SNAP benefit per person in Minnesota is $157 a month, or just over $5 a day. But food shelves are already struggling to meet demand. The Food Group reports visits to Minnesota food shelves rose 18% between 2023 and 2024.

DCYF sent an email to Minnesota’s 87 counties and 11 tribal nations earlier this week, laying out a timeline that appears to taper off the distribution of benefits.

Federal officials have said funding for the program, which provides food benefits to low-income families, will run out come November unless a deal to reopen the government is reached. In Minnesota, this will mean funding drying up to provide SNAP benefits to 440,000 recipients.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison is co-leading a coalition in filing a lawsuit against the United States Department of Agriculture for suspending SNAP due to the ongoing government shutdown.

Minnesota’s Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) says SNAP funding will run dry on Nov. 1 amid a government shutdown. If the shutdown is not resolved, the department will not be able to pay November benefits.

SNAP and MFIP food benefits halted due to federal shutdown; Ramsey County advises beneficiaries to use what they have and keep contact info updated.

Minnesota food banks face critical shortages as demand soars and SNAP funding stalls, leaving thousands at risk of hunger amid rising costs and dwindling donations. Local leaders urge urgent community support.