There are nearly 29,000 households with over 56,000 individuals in Fairfax County who receive food purchasing assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps, which provides about $9.9 million in benefits to our residents each month. If the federal government shutdown continues, November SNAP benefits may not be issued, leaving thousands of families potentially in need of food assistance.
Since SNAP is funded at the federal level and supervised by the state, Fairfax County cannot control or change when SNAP funding will be released.
October SNAP benefits are not affected by the federal shutdown and have been distributed as expected. At this time, it is unclear whether benefits will be issued retroactively once the shutdown ends. The Virginia Department of Social Services has stated that benefits will lapse starting Nov. 1 if the federal government shutdown is not resolved by Oct. 28.
October 23 Update: Governor Glenn Youngkin has declared, in a State of Emergency, that "the Commonwealth will provide food benefits." We are waiting for guidance from the Virginia Department of Social Services on how to move forward at the local level.
We are monitoring the situation carefully and will share information as it becomes available on our SNAP updates page.
Resources are Available
In the event of canceled or delayed payments, we recognize this may cause significant challenges for many of our SNAP households. Fairfax County is working on solutions that may be able to help fill the gap. In the meantime, resources are available if you need food or other financial assistance now (or at any other time):
- Basic Needs Assistance (CSP): Call 703-222-0880 (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)
- Emergency Food Access Map
- Community members who would like to support individuals in need can donate to local food banks — find donation locations and ways to help on our Emergency Food Access Map.
Other Assistance Programs
As of now, other public assistance programs such as Child Care Assistance and Referral (CCAR), Medical Assistance (Medicaid), and LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program) are not affected. We do not have updated guidance from the state about impacts to Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits.
Check for Updates
We will keep you updated as we learn more about November disbursements. Check our SNAP updates page to learn more. For other impacts and information about the federal shutdown, visit our Federal Government Resource Hub.
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