Michigan Families Face Food Crisis as Government Shutdown Drags On

The United States federal government shutdown began just after midnight on Wednesday, October 1, 2025.

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This was because Congress failed to pass a continuing resolution to extend funding beyond the end of the fiscal year on September 30, 2025.

Three weeks later and the shutdown has become the second longest in U.S. history and doesn't show any signs of coming to an end.

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The longer this shutdown goes on the more and more people in Michigan and across the country are starting to feel the effects.

Some of those impacted the most are the most vulnerable among us.

On Thursday, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) announced that SNAP benefits will not be issued to people who receive funds through the program starting in November.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service told states this week that it had limited funds to pay the full SNAP benefits to roughly 42 million people across the country.

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MDHHS director Elizabeth Hertel says that the loss of SNAP benefits is a major blow to low-income communities in Michigan.

The impact of households losing SNAP benefits will be felt around the state, SNAP is more than a food assistance program; it’s a lifeline for many Michigan families. It helps families put nutritious food on the table, supports local farmers and grocers, and strengthens our communities and economy. We are strongly disappointed by the USDA’s decision to delay this assistance, and in Michigan we will do what we can to help blunt this impact.

Last year in Michigan according to MDHHS the average household receiving SNAP benefits got $335.03 per month, which is about $173 per person each month, or $5.68 per person each day.

The amount of SNAP benefits each household receives depends on how close to the poverty line its income is.

Everyone that is being affected by the government shutdown are feeling the pain of not receiving paychecks or benefits, but this group of people including young kids in our state is sad and disgusting.

The men and women who represent Michigan and the United States need to act like adults and figure things out instead of parroting the same Republican and Democrat talking points, and they need to do something to take care of the people who elected them.