As Congress works toward reopening the government amid the longest shutdown in U.S. history, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients in Mississippi will soon receive partial benefits.
The Mississippi Department of Human Services announced Monday that it will begin partial distribution of SNAP benefits following official guidance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service. Beginning immediately, up to 65% of the November SNAP benefit allotment will be delivered to recipients. Benefit amounts have been set by the federal government, not the state.
SNAP benefits are issued on a rolling basis between the 4th and the 21st days of each month. Recipients who typically receive their benefits between the 4th and 10th days of each month will be included in the upcoming issuance of benefits. All other recipients will receive their benefits on their regularly scheduled issuance date, per state officials.
In preparation for benefit issuance, the state asks all SNAP clients to register their accounts here and change their personal identification numbers to reduce the risk of fraud. Users are also encouraged to monitor all account transactions and to report suspicious activity to the proper authorities.
Roughly 380,000 Mississippians depend on SNAP benefits, and around 60% of those on the program in the state are children. The update from the Department of Human Services comes as the Trump administration remains in a legal battle over the distribution of SNAP benefits during the ongoing shutdown.
