New Hampshire food assistance programs will receive an influx of $2 million in state funding as of Nov. 1, part of a plan to offset the loss of federal food assistance programs due to the ongoing government shutdown.
The money will support a network of mobile food pantries specifically for the more than 75,000 New Hampshire residents enrolled in the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. It will also help traditional food pantries stock up on additional food for SNAP participants.
The $2 million infusion for local food assistance programs represents a fraction of the nearly $13 million in SNAP funding that New Hampshire would normally receive from the federal government.
“This is a temporary solution,” Gov. Kelly Ayotte said Wednesday. “And I want those in Washington to get this done. And to get the government open, and get these benefits back in place for people who need them.”
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Without action from Congress, SNAP will not continue after Nov. 1. That’s left states scrambling to come up with alternatives for the nearly 42 million people who rely on the program.
The infusion of food assistance funding was approved by a panel of state lawmakers Tuesday and the Executive Council on Wednesday.
State health officials have said that SNAP recipients will still be able to access SNAP benefits already on their EBT cards after Oct 31.
Starting Nov. 1, New Hampshire is also required to start implementing new rules for its SNAP program, under legislation passed by Congress as part of the budget reconciliation bill this summer. That new law requires states to remove certain legal immigrants from the program, expand work requirements and change how benefits are calculated.
The state also secured federal dollars to fund the Women, Infants and Children Nutrition program or WIC, which serves low-income pregnant women and young children, until at least Nov. 7.
Find more information about mobile food pantries and food assistance at the New Hampshire Food Bank and the state health department website.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to note that SNAP recipients will still be able to access money already on their EBT card after Oct. 31.