When the government shutdown will affect SNAP, Head Start and military pay

With the federal government shutdown nearing the one-month mark, Americans are starting to see the cascading effects of programs shuttered by lapses in federal funding. Some states are scrambling to find ways to account for shortfalls in food and child development assistance, and members of the military are also about to miss their first paychecks.

Some federal workers have already gone without pay for weeks. But nearly a month in, reserves that had kept some programs afloat since the shutdown began are dwindling, meaning new layers of complications as Congress remains unable to reach a new agreement to fund the federal government.

A look at what millions of Americans can expect this week:

Friday

According to the Trump administration, funding will run out for the food assistance program that is relied upon by 42 million Americans to supplement their grocery bills. The administration has rejected using more than $5 billion in contingency funds to keep the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program flowing into November.

SNAP helps about 1 in 8 Americans buy groceries using debit cards normally loaded each month by the federal government. Some states have pledged to keep the benefits flowing even if the federal program halts payments, but a memo from the U.S. Department of Agriculture — which administers the program — says states would not be reimbursed for temporarily picking up the cost.

Another program that helps more than 6 million low-income mothers, young children and expectant parents purchase nutritious staples, like baby formula, will likely run out of funds the following week. Earlier this month, WIC received a $300 million infusion from the Trump administration, but those funds are running out, too.

Also on Friday, the nation’s 1.3 million active-duty service members are at risk of missing a paycheck. Earlier this month, the Trump administration ensured they were paid by shifting $8 billion from military research and development funds to make payroll. But it is unclear if the Trump administration is willing — or able — to shift money again.

Last week, the Pentagon confirmed that it had accepted an anonymous $130 million gift to help pay military members during the shutdown, a bequest that amounted to a small contribution toward the billions needed to cover service member paychecks.

Saturday

More than 130 Head Start preschool programs won’t receive their annual federal grants on Nov. 1 if the government remains shut down, according to the National Head Start Association.

Centers are scrambling to assess how long they can stay open, since nearly all their funding comes from federal taxpayers. Head Start provides education and child care for the nation’s neediest preschoolers. When a center is closed, families may have to miss work or school.

With new grants on hold, a half-dozen Head Start programs have already missed federal disbursements they were expecting Oct. 1 but have stayed open with fast-dwindling reserves or with help from local governments. All told, more than 65,000 seats at Head Start programs across the country could be affected.

Also Saturday, the window opens for enrolling in Affordable Care Act health plans. In past years, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has allowed consumers to preview their health coverage options about a week before open enrollment. But as of this week, Healthcare.gov appeared to show 2025 health insurance plans and estimated prices, instead of next year’s options.

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Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://x.com/MegKinnardAP