County offices for the Arkansas Department of Human Services will stay open and nearly 1,500 state workers will remain on the job until at least Nov. 22, after the U.S. Department of Agriculture released new administrative funding to support the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) during the ongoing federal government shutdown.
On Thursday, DHS officials said the funding allows county offices to continue processing SNAP applications and renewals for now, but warned additional impacts could come later this month if the shutdown persists.
“This is now the longest federal government shutdown in the history of our country, and the impacts are devastating,” said DHS Secretary Janet Mann. “Those voting against reopening our government are opting to take food away from vulnerable families and to send critically important employees home without pay as we enter the holiday season.”
The department is still working to update November SNAP benefit amounts under new federal guidelines and will issue them “as quickly as possible,” though no specific date has been set.
Mann said DHS continues to analyze the shutdown’s effects on other divisions and programs, noting more furloughs or suspensions could occur after Nov. 22 without additional federal funding.
Several DHS programs have already been affected. Funding for community partners under Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), the Social Services Block Grant, and the Community Services Block Grant remains suspended. Dozens of employees across DHS divisions have been furloughed, and cash assistance for newly approved Transitional Employment Assistance recipients is also paused.
DHS is urging Arkansans who need food assistance to visit HelpArkansas.com, which lists regional food banks and community resources, and to support local aid organizations if able.
“These are difficult times,” Mann said. “It will take all of us taking care of one another to get through them.”
For the full statement from the Arkansas Department of Human Services, click here.
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