FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX 18) — Kentucky will soon distribute the remaining SNAP benefits to nearly 600,000 residents after receiving federal guidance to restart the program following the government shutdown.
Gov. Andy Beshear announced that the state received guidance from the federal government on Thursday afternoon.
When can those benefits be expected? Beshear said their goal is by the middle of November.
"Certainly by the end of the month - I mean we're going to beat that. We're hoping to get it done as quickly as possible," Beshear said.
Beshear added that the distribution will be more complex than usual because Kentucky already processed partial benefits earlier this month after a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to fund SNAP during the shutdown. This means some Kentuckians may have already received a percentage of their normal benefits, making this upcoming reload a secondary release for November.
Nearly 600,000 Kentuckians rely on SNAP for food assistance each month. Beshear criticized the Trump administration for not funding SNAP benefits during the shutdown.
"It could've been entirely prevented the whole time. Our people and the American people are not pawns - are not political leverage. And in a state and a country where we grow enough food for everyone, no one should have to worry about their next meal," Beshear said.
The Trump administration previously said they didn't have sufficient emergency funds to cover SNAP benefits during the shutdown and questioned whether emergency funds could be used for this purpose.
The governor said the state will keep residents updated on the timeline for benefit distribution as the process moves forward.
