Hundreds of thousands of Iowans will not receive food assistance benefits beginning Nov. 1 as the federal government shutdown continues.

Iowa food bank leaders have warned that they face an "unprecedented" challenge if the government fails to provide Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, dollars to low-income Iowans for the first time in the program's history.

Here's what to know about who is affected, where things stand and how to get help.

How many Iowans will lose SNAP benefits in November?

More than 267,000 Iowans received $45 million worth of SNAP benefits in May, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which administers the SNAP program.

That means nearly 131,000 Iowa households will lose access to benefits in November if the shutdown is still in effect.

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