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Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025

Could more than 900,000 Arizonans lose food assistance on Nov. 1?

Tallulah Anne, Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting
yes

Starting Nov. 1, the Arizona Department of Economic Security is set to suspend Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) assistance, affecting more than 900,000 Arizonans. Most of the state’s SNAP recipients are families with children, and the majority have incomes below the poverty line.

The suspension is part of a broader, nationwide interruption in benefits resulting from the ongoing federal government shutdown. Nationally, approximately 42 million Americans receive SNAP assistance.  

Federal law authorizes the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which administers the program, to tap into SNAP’s contingency reserve when regular funding lapses, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. The Center argues the administration has both the legal authority and practical means — such as releasing the contingency funds or shifting other resources — to prevent an interruption in food assistance.

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The Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting is the state’s only independent, nonpartisan and collaborative nonprofit newsroom dedicated to statewide, data-driven investigative reporting. AZCIR's mission is to hold powerful people and institutions accountable by exposing injustice and systemic inequities through investigative journalism.

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