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PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — No, electronic benefit transfer cards will not be shut off after the first of the month.
The Oregon Department of Human Services issued a clarification after rumors began circulating regarding the availability of funds from the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program.
Some benefit recipients were concerned that previously distributed benefits that were unused would no longer be available after Nov. 1, but the department has since clarified that isn’t true.
“You can still use any SNAP benefits already on your EBT card,” ODHS said in a Facebook post. “If the federal government shutdown continues into November, new SNAP benefits will be delayed. But any unused SNAP benefits on your EBT card from previous months will stay on your card until you use them or they expire (about one year from when they were issued).”
The U.S. Department of Agriculture warned last week that November SNAP benefits could be impacted if the federal government shutdown continues. On Monday, Governor Tina Kotek weighed in, calling it a “cruel and unacceptable situation.”
New federal requirements also reduced many recipients’ benefit eligibility. Those changes began rolling out in mid-October.
According to an Oct. 23 briefing from ODHS, there are 450,000 Oregon households that rely on the program to help cover their food costs.
During the briefing, the agency also clarified what to expect if the shutdown continues. They said that if the shutdown ends before Nov. 1, they plan to work with their vendor to attempt to distribute benefits as close to the normal schedule as possible. But if the shutdown ends after Nov. 1, the timing will depend on how quickly the federal government acts.
In the meantime, EBT cards still work as usual, and people can still apply for benefits.
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Amanda Rhoades
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