The Arkansas Department of Human Services will delay the furlough of 1,500 employees and closure of department offices in every county, measures that had been planned to go into effect after Friday in response to the federal government shutdown, the department announced Thursday.

In a news release, the department cited administrative funds for the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program that the U.S. Departmnet of Agriculture provided for November and updated SNAP benefit guidelines from the USDA.

The furloughs and office closures are now planned starting Nov. 22 if the federal government has not reopened by then, DHS said.

"The federal administrative funding provided for November will allow (the 1,500) employees to continue working SNAP applications and renewals until that date," t

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