The Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families says it is being forced to stop processing SNAP benefits due to the government shutdown.
It’s due to the lack of funding caused by the shutdown that Ramsey County officials recently announced food benefits like SNAP will not be issued for November until the shutdown ends, or until the Department of Children, Youth, and Families receives further guidance from the federal government.
Nationwide, 42 million people rely on SNAP benefits to help pay for their food. On Thursday, people who work with families in need called on lawmakers to end the shutdown.
Members of the AFSCME union who help those in need of food assistance say the federal government has put them in an impossible position. Workers say they take calls every day from people who need food assistance just to survive. They shared that message Thursday morning at the Hennepin County Government Center.
They say feeding families is not a policy debate, but a moral responsibility. They’re asking federal lawmakers to come together to negotiate a bill in order to save lives.
They’re also asking the Department of Children, Youth, and Families to communicate with food assistance recipients in ways accessible for everyone — not just texts and emails, but also through mail.
“We are being forced to look at parents, seniors and children in the eye and tell them that we cannot issue their benefits, not because they did anything wrong, but because Washington, D.C., has failed them,” Yunuen Brown, a frontline worker serving families, said.
For the latest information and resources for those seeking food assistance, click here.
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