The Government Shutdown & Pause to SNAP Benefits Has Had Lasting Impact On Americans

(The United States Government was reopened on Nov. 12 as SNAP benefits resumed. | Photo Credit: Diego Cambiaso)

While Thanksgiving Day is two days away, many Americans are still experiencing the negative effects of the recent government shutdown. The government shutdown, which lasted for 43 days, is the longest in United States history. Federal employees went weeks without pay, airline disruptions caused issues for travelers, and the pause of SNAP benefits has left many Americans struggling to feed their families, resorting to food banks.

According to the USDA, the purpose of SNAP, also known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, is to provide food benefits to low-income families so that they can “supplement their grocery budget so they can afford the nutritious food essential to health and well-being.”

The pause in SNAP benefits was due to a lack of funding because of the government shutdown. Since the re-opening of the United States government on Nov. 12, all states have either “loaded full November benefits onto people’s electric spending cards or were working on it,” according to an article from the Associated Press.

Although SNAP benefits are resumed, Americans, from the working class to those running businesses, are still experiencing the negative impacts of when they were paused, coupled with the government shutdown.

Elizabeth Fadiga, a General Manager for a Chipotle store in Red Bank, New Jersey, explains how she has seen a decline in sales at her store and other Chipotle locations in her area since the pause of SNAP benefits.

“As a GM [General Manager] of Chipotle, we have seen a huge decline in sales since the pause of SNAP,” said Fadiga. “It was seen across the board through all Chipotles in my area. For my location in Red Bank, NJ, we went from an average of 10k+ a day to less than 9k every day, and on the weekends, only 7k.”

Not only have sales decreased due to the pause of SNAP benefits, but Fadiga also states that it has led to cutting employees’ hours due to slow business.

“Now my team only gets an average of 25 hours a week. When people don’t have money, they don’t spend it, causing us to cut hours,” said Fadiga. “So even the people who are working and trying to work have been affected. It is upsetting that I can only give my team 20 hours a week during the holidays when everyone is struggling.”

While Thanksgiving Day is within the horizon, so is Black Friday. The current holiday season can be difficult for the average American.

Will things get better? Only time can tell.