(NEXSTAR) – Those who rely on food assistance may be feeling uneasy as lawmakers predict the federal government shutdown, which started on Wednesday, will last for at least a week.

Both SNAP and WIC are run by the United States Department of Agriculture, which has more than 40,000 employees furloughed during the shutdown.

Here's what we know about how the shutdown is impacting food assistance.

How are SNAP food stamps affected?

SNAP, which stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, used to be called the Food Stamp Program. The program helps low-income and no-income families buy groceries by loading up a monthly benefit allowance onto an EBT card.

Because of the way SNAP is funded, the impact of a government shutdown isn't felt right away, a USDA spokesperson told Nexstar. E

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