The prolonged U.S. government shutdown is putting millions of Americans at risk of missing their November food stamp benefits, a vital lifeline for low-income households.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, said in a memo Sunday that no benefits will be issued on Nov. 1 , leaving the program's roughly 42 million beneficiaries uncertain about how they'll pay for groceries next month.

SNAP recipients receive an average of $187 a month on a prepaid card, and many families rely on those benefits as their main source of money for food. Many of those registered with the program are also asking if they will still be able to use the remaining dollars on their cards once funding is suspended and if they'll receive their Novem

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