Millions of Americans depend on SNAP assistance to put food on the table but a government shutdown is forcing beneficiaries to grapple with how to feed their families without access to these funds next month.

Agriculture Department officials said Friday they cannot use a contingency fund to continue paying the SNAP program, despite earlier shutdown guidance allowing its use.

Food stamps are about to run out for hundreds of thousands of Arizonans. The ongoing federal government shutdown will disrupt payments for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program nationwide.

An "emergency food plan" is emerging, according to U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury, as a state official says NM is "evaluating the USDA's ever-changing guidance."

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits are set to run out of funding on Nov. 1 if the government shutdown continues.

Recipients of SNAP food assistance might not receive their benefits for November if the government shutdown persists.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program makes the difference between having food on the table or going without for many Montana families.

Making matters worse, Urban Institute found that these cuts would mean 22.3 million U.S. families will lose some or all of their SNAP benefit, which provides basic food assistance to more than 40 million Americans in a typical month.