(NEXSTAR) – It's official: The federal government will not send out November SNAP benefits if the shutdown continues into the weekend.

While some states are scrambling to fund some form of continued food assistance, others are warning Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients should plan for empty accounts – unless they've budgeted very cautiously.

SNAP, formerly the Food Stamp Program, is a need-based program that helps low-income, no-income, and disabled people afford groceries. The program is funded with federal dollars but administered by states.

People who qualify receive benefits monthly, but each state has its own system of how and when payments are issued. The benefits are loaded onto an EBT card, which functions like a debit card when used at a SNAP-authorized retail

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