Virginia Pauses State Food Aid as Partial SNAP Payments are to Resume Amid Shutdown

After weeks of whiplash and food insecurity for about 850,000 Virginians during the nation’s longest federal government shutdown, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients appear on track to keep receiving a fraction of their benefits — at least for now.

Richmond resident Asia Broadie uses the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to help offset grocery costs for her large family while she juggles single parenthood, full-time work and nursing school. (Photo by Charlotte Rene Woods/Virginia Mercury)

The federal program, also known as SNAP, helps low-income families and people unable to work afford groceries. But it hasn’t been funded since the start of November, a casualty of the six-week-and-counting federal shutdown.

The prospect of constituents going hungry spurred Gov. Glenn Youngkin to create a state-level temporary version of SNAP called the Virginia Emergency Nutrition Assistance, or VENA. After disbursing small allotments to Virginians last week by tapping into the state’s budget surplus, Youngkin announced over the weekend that VENA will be paused.

Despite a court order directing President Donald Trump’s administration to utilize a contingency fund to distribute SNAP payments, the issue has been unresolved since early November.

While the federal shutdown lingers, a partial breakthrough emerged Sunday evening.

In a bipartisan move, seven Senate Democrats — including U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia — and one independent joined Republicans to advance legislation aimed at reopening the government and keeping funding flowing until late January.

The measure would also fully restore benefits for SNAP and other nutrition-program funding, though it must still pass the House before becoming law.

Until Sunday’s vote, the Trump administration signaled it would partially tap into the contingency fund for SNAP, suggesting implementation could take weeks or months. Trump also wrote on social media that SNAP “will be given only when the Radical Left Democrats open up the government.”

That prompted  a federal district judge to reaffirm his order, ruling the partial payment plan noncompliant. At least 20 states began lining up to issue full payments to residents as Trump filed an appeal and urged states to “undo” efforts to provide full benefits.

Before the weekend ended, Youngkin announced that Virginia would comply with the Trump administration and pause VENA this week. He said in a news release that he expects partial federal SNAP funding  to reach people’s benefit cards by Nov. 13.

“Our top priority has been to ensure that every Virginian facing food insecurity knows that we are doing everything in our ability to provide food assistance,” Youngkin said. “Now, based on federal guidance, we are committed to processing the federal SNAP benefits made available no later than Thursday.”

Because VENA had already distributed about 25% of typical monthly benefits, Youngkin said the state will deliver 65% of regular monthly federal funds to eligible Virginians this month. That means Virginians will have received about 90% of their usual allotment  by the end of November.

For Richmond residents Daniel Garratt and Asia Broadie, the start of each month is typically grocery shopping time.

Garratt, who lives in an apartment complex for seniors and people with disabilities, said most of his Social Security income goes to rent, so SNAP has helped him keep food on the table. Broadie, a single mother juggling work with nursing school, said food “goes quick” with her growing children. She hopes to eventually earn enough not to need SNAP, but for now it gives her family peace of mind.

While Youngkin is complying with the latest federal guidance, he is also promoting a donation page where Virginians can support their regional food banks through the Virginia Cares Initiative — which his administration has already seeded with $1 million.

The move follows warnings from the Federation of Virginia Food Banks that its already  strained safety net can’t absorb the influx of SNAP recipients and furloughed federal workers without additional support.

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