NEW ORLEANS — The federal government shutdown is now into its second month. And people who depend on government benefits are still in limbo regarding some services.

Let's start with Medicare and Medicaid. All of those remain in place during the shutdown.

Be aware that there may be delays in processing claims.

For SNAP benefits, there is still no clear answer.

“I want to convey the urgency and the emergency nature of this in our community because people do not have enough food,” said Davida Finger, a Professor of Law at the Loyola Law Clinic at the Loyola College of Law.

Clients of the Loyola Law Clinic fall below the poverty line. Normally, their SNAP benefits would have been loaded onto their cards on November 1.

“What we're hearing from clients is that their cards have not been loa

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