Will I receive SNAP benefits in November? Here's what you need to know
LOUISIANA, (KLFY) -- Governor Jeff Landry announced that Louisiana will use state funds to ensure SNAP benefits continue for the elderly, disabled and children in November, despite the federal government shutdown.
The governor declared an emergency to tap into state funds, prioritizing these vulnerable populations who rely on SNAP benefits. Nearly 800,000 people in Louisiana use SNAP, with most being children, the elderly and the disabled.
"The state will provide a temporary state funded assistance," Landry said.
Governor Landry assured that those eligible do not need to take any action to receive their benefits.
"They don't have to do one thing," he said.
The state funding will only cover these vulnerable groups, who are the first to receive SNAP benefits each month. Landry reassured recipients that their EBT cards would be loaded as usual.
For the 53,000 able-bodied adults on SNAP, the governor indicated they would need to rely on food banks, as the state cannot sustain funding for all SNAP recipients indefinitely. Landry highlighted the availability of 100,000 job opportunities in the state, encouraging able-bodied adults to seek employment through louisianaworks.net.
A coalition of 25 states, led by attorney generals, has sued the federal government over the suspension of food assistance programs during the shutdown.
The governor noted that funding the entire SNAP program with state money would cost $147 million in one month, which is unsustainable.
All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KLFY. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KLFY staff before being published.