Food and fuel assistance at risk for low-income Vermonters as government shutdown wears on

More than 63,000 low-income Vermonters could see their federal food benefits disappear next month if the government shutdown lasts through October.

The Trump administration recently notified state officials that there won’t be enough money to fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program if Congress doesn’t pass a continuing resolution by month’s end.

Though the Vermont Legislature passed a state budget in May that set aside about $100 million to offset potential federal funding losses, Secretary of Human Services Jenney Samuelson told lawmakers Thursday that the state might not be able to leverage those reserves.

“We have been exploring what it would look like to potentially backfill the program with state funds in the interim basis, but … it looks like the federal contingency pla