BILLINGS — For many families in Billings, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) makes the difference between having food on the table or going without.
Now, concerns are rising about potential disruptions to SNAP benefits in November, leaving vulnerable families wondering how they’ll manage.
Watch how a disruption with SNAP benefits affect families in Billings:
“As a result of the ongoing federal government shutdown, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has directed states to stop the issuance of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for the month of November until further notice. This means that you may not receive SNAP benefits for November, even if you are authorized to receive them," the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services said on its website.
The potential disruption raises concerns for families in Billings.
“About 75% of the families and individuals who we provide services to are way below the poverty level and are recipients of SNAP. So, this is going to greatly impact them,” said Tara Williamson, executive director at Billings-based STEP Inc., a nonprofit that provides services for disadvantaged families, on Monday.
Williamson said that SNAP benefits typically provide $178 per month, which may not be substantial to some, but serves as a lifeline for families struggling to meet ends meet.
“A lot of people were already riding that edge even with that $178. And it's not going to be able to work,” Williamson said.
Williamson added that the concern is for children and she said they will be impacted the most.
“The greatest impact will be on children because children are the ones who are more at that poverty line and who are negatively impacted by it,” Williamson said.
For Mars Blaylock, who received SNAP benefits on and off for 10 years as a single mother, the potential disruption hits home.
“I'm a single mom, and there's just been times when I needed help with food and other things,” Blaylock said.
She understood firsthand how crucial those monthly benefits can be for families trying to stretch their budgets.
“What SNAP does is it allows you to have the money you need to get the food that you need and what works best for your family,” said Blaylock, who works for STEP.
Blaylock said that there was a stigma behind using the benefits.
“I would hear comments about people on SNAP benefits. And that was hard because I was working. I've worked my whole life,” Blaylock said. “It's really sad because most people are working as hard as they can. And they just want to be able to feed their families. That's all.”
Beyond social stigma, Blaylock said the application and maintenance process for SNAP benefits presents its own challenges.
“They don't make it easy to get SNAP benefits,” Blaylock said. “The drawback is that you have to wait for that money to come in every month, and if there's any kind of delays for any reason, sometimes you have to contact the office, and that can be a whole process.”
Blaylock said that any disruption to SNAP benefits would hit the most vulnerable populations the most.
“Ultimately, it's the people that are most in need that are going to be hurt the most by this. And these are the people that can't change their circumstances,” Blaylock said.
In response to these concerns, STEP and other local organizations are collaborating on a food drive to help families who may be affected by any SNAP benefit interruptions.
