RICHMOND, Va. — According to reports, federal officials have directed Virginia to begin distributing a partial portion of monthly Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits this week, prompting the Commonwealth to temporarily pause its Virginia Emergency Nutrition Assistance program to remain in compliance with federal rules. Federal authorities instructed states to release 65 percent of November SNAP benefits immediately, affecting more than 850000 Virginians. Reports indicate that the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued the directive under guidance developed by the Trump administration, with the expectation that all payments would be processed by Thursday.
Virginia had already delivered 25 percent of monthly benefits earlier this month through its emergency VENA initiative to prevent any interruption during the federal government shutdown. The newly required release brings the total amount available to most households to about 90 percent of their regular monthly SNAP support for November.
State officials said the shift reflects the most up to date federal direction and ensures that recipients continue receiving assistance during a transitional period created by federal delays. The Virginia Department of Social Services stated it will continue posting updates as new information becomes available. Households with questions can contact local DSS offices or visit dss.virginia.gov. Reports also noted that Virginia recently launched the Virginia Cares Initiative, a statewide food drive intended to help families affected by the shutdown. The effort focuses on assisting federal employees, military civilian workers, and roughly 12000 Virginians who became newly eligible for SNAP but could not access benefits while federal systems were offline. The state allocated one million dollars to the Federation of Virginia Food Banks to help meet increased need.
Residents interested in participating in the Virginia Cares Initiative can sign up online to volunteer, donate food, locate nearby food banks, or organize local collection drives.
