Virginians who receive federal food assistance should see their full benefits transferred no later than Tuesday, according to the governor’s office and guidance from the Virginia Department of Social Services.
Virginia residents who applied for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, after Oct. 29 and therefore did not receive any benefits during the recent government shutdown will receive the full amount of their allotment by Saturday.
Households that received payments through Virginia Emergency Nutrition Assistance, or VENA, the temporary state-funded program Gov. Glenn Youngkin launched Nov. 3, will receive their full SNAP benefits on Tuesday.
Although the Virginia Department of Social Services had not posted this guidance publicly as of Friday afternoon, representatives at the Virginia Poverty Law Center and the Virginia League of Social Services Executives said that they had received the update from the state. The governor’s office confirmed that funds should be fully disbursed by Tuesday.
SNAP was initially paused for the month of November because of the federal government shutdown, which stemmed from Congress’ failure to pass the federal spending bill, or HR1. Historically, SNAP payments have continued during shutdowns for at least the first month, supplemented by U.S. Department of Agriculture contingency funds. This year, those funds were not released until just days before the shutdown ended.
The government opened back up on Thursday after a 43-day shutdown.
Virginia created VENA as a short-term solution to prevent households from going without food during the shutdown. It was funded entirely by the state’s budget surplus. Because of this, residents who received VENA payments will still receive their full federal SNAP money. The state will not be reimbursed for those emergency payments by the federal government, said Rebecca Morgan, the principal contact for the Virginia League of Social Services Executives and the social services director in Middlesex County.
Beneficiaries who do not receive their full benefits should contact their local social services department, said Cassie Edner with the Virginia Poverty Law Center.
“If you didn’t get benefits in November, check into it. Check to see why. Don’t just assume that you aren’t supposed to get them, especially if it comes next week and you never receive the contingency fund benefits or the VENA benefits,” Edner said. “One of my concerns is with HR1 changes and with the changes to the government shutdown, it is possible that individuals were confused and maybe fell through the cracks.”
Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture released contingency funds that provided partial benefits.
Future funding should be stable
Under the current federal budget, some federal programs are operating under a continuing resolution that expires Jan. 30, but SNAP received a full-year appropriation.
SNAP is now funded through September 2026, which should provide stability even if the federal government shuts down again at the end of January.
Monthly SNAP disbursements should return to normal in December, said Liz Nigro with Voices for Virginia’s Children.
“I think we should see things go back to normal for the December period, assuming everything goes according to plan. Even though we have seen a lot of uncertainty, that’s what we think right now,” Nigro said.
However, policy changes in the federal spending bill could lead to some Virginians losing SNAP benefits, as eligibility rules are tightened and administrative hurdles are increased. Advocates warn that these provisions could cause otherwise eligible households to lose benefits simply because they fail to navigate the red tape.
Nigro said the November disruption, combined with changes in the federal spending bill, has prompted new initiatives she hopes to bring to the General Assembly session in January. Consistency across local social services agencies, she said, will be critical to preventing confusion and gaps in benefits.