Food banks brace for 42 million without SNAP

Food banks are already seeing a surge as tens of millions of families prepare for their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits to freeze.

The big picture: The federal government shutdown will stop food aid Nov. 1 for some 42 million Americans, the latest blow for low-income families already struggling with rising costs and shrinking federal benefits. • When SNAP benefits run out this week, food banks say they will face a demand they can't possibly meet alone. The gap was already set to be exacerbated by sweeping SNAP eligibility changes in the administration's tax and spending bill, including expanded work requirements. • Food banks were already strained by other federal program cuts. • "We were already seeing the working class facing unprecedented attacks," said George