Federal shutdown will leave thousands of Mississippians without SNAP benefits next month

As of this year, Mississippi had over 350,000 citizens receiving SNAP benefits. That's roughly 12% of the state's entire population.

Annie Morris, of Jackson, is one of those recipients. 

"I really couldn't believe it," she said Tuesday from the parking lot of a Piggly Wiggly, where she was going to get groceries. "We have so many people that don't even receive any kind of income, and they're just shutting everything down."

Morris is retired, and SNAP is what puts food on her table.

"It helps me out with my finances because my checks got to go to my bills, and SNAP helped me to get food — and I really do need that," she said. 

In a statement to MPB and a tweet on X, Gov. Tate Reeves said there's "no simple way for state government to just step in" to cover losses from the shutdown.

Congressman Bennie Thompson echoed Reeves' statement, saying that some things in Mississippi just can't work without federal funding. If the House doesn't reconvene, he warned, things could keep getting worse — not just for people on SNAP, but for Mississippians across the board. 

"The House not being in session is not the way to fix the problem," Thompson told MPB. "It would have a catastrophic effect on not just those families who are presently on SNAP, but there are businesses that will be impacted and, obviously, our food banks and other things depend on some of those resources to feed the working poor." 

In Louisiana, Gov. Jeff Landry signed an emergency declaration to help some of their state's SNAP recipients. They're specifically marked for elderly and disabled beneficiaries, along with children. 

But Louisiana's the only state in the Gulf South to put state funds toward SNAP. Alabama's Department of Human Resources posted a notice on Monday about benefits also being suspended. 

While no new benefits are being issued, folks can use existing benefits from before November. The department also said current recipients should keep submitting their usual documents and records to stay compliant in order to keep their benefits. 

MPB News reporter Shamira Muhammad contributed to this report.