After weeks of delays, eligible Kentuckians are getting food assistance benefits once again.
State employees worked on the weekend to load benefits onto electronic benefit transfer cards for the almost 600,000 Kentuckians who have benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
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Gov. Andy Beshear said Friday that Kentucky had “received the go-ahead to fully fund” food assistance.
On Saturday, he said SNAP benefits were being loaded onto cards.
“After notification from the federal government, these folks worked through the night to ensure their neighbors had access to food through their SNAP benefits in the morning,” Beshear said in a Saturday statement. “And now, as the shutdown comes to an end, this team is once again willing and ready to process benefits as quickly as possible. To these folks: You’re making a difference, and I am proud to work alongside you. Thank you.”
The longest-ever government shutdown ended Wednesday after 43 days of a political stalemate in Washington. During that time, the Trump administration did not pay SNAP benefits to the roughly 42 million Americans who use the program to buy groceries.
In Kentucky, Beshear gave $5 million in emergency funds to food banks and authorized interested National Guard members to help staff pantries around the state.
This story may be updated.
This article is republished under a Creative Commons license from Kentucky Lantern, which is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Kentucky Lantern maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jamie Lucke for questions: info@kentuckylantern.com. Follow Kentucky Lantern on Facebook and Twitter.
Sarah Ladd is a Louisville-based journalist and Kentuckian. She has covered everything from crime to higher education. In 2020, she started reporting on the COVID-19 pandemic and has covered health ever since.
