Today’s Frightening Reality: SNAP Funding Is Paused

By Rachel Bouzis, Director of Policy & Learning

If you or someone you know needs food assistance, dial 211 for information on local food pantries or visit Wyoming Food Bank. If you’d like more information on how to donate to those in need, visit the Wyoming Hunger Initiative.

For many of our neighbors, the scariest thing happening on Oct. 31, 2025 is where they’re going to get food in November. Hopefully when you’re reading this, the federal government will have agreed upon a solution to resume SNAP benefits, and your neighbors’ fears will have subsided—at least for now.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is one of the nation’s most effective tools for reducing hunger and poverty. It provides monthly benefits that help low-income individuals and families afford nutritious food, improving both health and economic stability. Widely recognized as one of the most successful social policies ever enacted, SNAP reaches millions of Americans each month. However, as of November 1, the program will be paused until federal funding is restored.

Last year, around 41.7 million Americans received SNAP benefits.[1] In Wyoming, it helped 29,000 people, or 5 percent of our total population, the majority of whom have children or are older. More than 70 percent of all Wyoming SNAP recipients are families with children, and more than 30 percent are families with older adults or someone with a disability. Forty-five percent of that population are in working families.[2]

In September, there were more than 5,000 SNAP recipients in Natrona County, which was higher than anywhere else in the state, including the more populous Laramie County. [3]

The benefits go much further than food access. SNAP is a real-world trickle-down support system for those who need it most. For pregnant mothers, this means improved birth outcomes, including reduced low-birth weight babies. For older adults, SNAP is associated with longer independent living and avoiding hospitalization. These benefits free up other income to use on health care costs, which improves long-term health outcomes.[4]

Incredibly, families with children who participate in SNAP are more likely to attend periodic checkups with a medical provider. Low-income adults with SNAP benefits typically have around 25 percent lower health care costs annually than low-income adults who don’t. Older SNAP participants are less likely to forego prescribed medications.[5]

SNAP has been proven to have positive generational impacts. From 2015 to 2019, SNAP lifted more than 6,000 Wyoming residents, including 3,000 kiddos, above the federal poverty line.[6]

SNAP is essential. It’s a lifeline for thousands of hardworking, honest folks and one of the most effective tools available to improve health and economic stability. Our government must resume funding it.

In the meantime, local nonprofits, churches, businesses and individuals are stepping up to fill gaps as best they can. Though they can’t replace the reach of SNAP even temporarily, our community is fortunate to have so many quietly working to give our neighbors food, dignity and care when they need it most.

The average monthly benefit is around $185 per person, so a family with two adults and two children might receive around $740. For reference, the USDA—the division that administers SNAP—says that a thrifty family of the same makeup will spend around $1,000 each month.[7] While SNAP is intended to supplement households, it’s the only source of groceries for some Wyoming families. For them, and many others who rely on this program, today is truly terrifying.

Thanks for reading this special edition of Advocacy Corner, a series of nonpartisan advocacy posts by the Natrona Collective Health Trust, aimed at advancing our mission of improving the health of Natrona County residents. If you have a topic suggestion or question, please reach out to Rachel Bouzis, Director of Policy & Learning.

^[1] Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) – Key Statistics and Research

^[2] Wyoming – Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

^[3] SNAP Is Linked With Improved Health Outcomes and Lower Health Care Costs

[4] Ibid

[5] Ibid

^[6] Wyoming – Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

^[7] Official USA Thrifty Food Plan: U.S. Average, August 2025