131,000 may not receive SNAP benefits due to shutdown

State officials say it’s possible 131,000 Iowa households will not receive federal food assistance in November if the government shutdown continues. Iowa Department of Health and Human Services officials say they’ve been working with food banks, food pantries and other organization to prepare to provide additional support to those households. The State of Iowa had been preparing to distribute about $45 million from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) next month. Federal officials have notified all states not to issue those food stamp benefits in November. The latest data indicates that in July, about 270,000 Iowans lived in a household that qualified for SNAP.