{"id":74363,"date":"2025-10-28T16:38:55","date_gmt":"2025-10-28T16:38:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/uncategorized\/2025\/10\/28\/shutdown-causes-turmoil-for-some-military-families-food-assistance\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T16:50:17","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T16:50:17","slug":"shutdown-causes-turmoil-for-some-military-families-food-assistance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/pay-benefits\/mil-money\/2025\/10\/28\/shutdown-causes-turmoil-for-some-military-families-food-assistance\/","title":{"rendered":"Shutdown causes turmoil for some military families\u2019 food assistance"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Families across the country are facing a Nov. 1 cutoff of key food assistance because of the government shutdown<\/a>, including military families who find themselves in a variety of different situations depending on where they live. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The good news for about 10,000 military families using WIC Overseas<\/a> is their benefits have experienced no disruption, and they won\u2019t be affected if the shutdown continues into November. That program, which is modeled after the U.S. Department of Agriculture\u2019s Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, is operated through a contract and funded by the Defense Department. It\u2019s separate from the state-run WIC programs under the Agriculture Department.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But in the U.S., a number of states have warned that funding will run out at the end of October for WIC, which would affect military families using the benefit in those locations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

WIC provides benefits for healthy foods and infant formula, as well as nutrition education and breastfeeding support for pregnant women, new mothers and young children. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

States days away from cutting off WIC, SNAP<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The state WIC programs received temporary emergency funds from the Trump administration earlier this month to stabilize the program through October 31, but that funding is being rapidly depleted, according to the National WIC Association<\/a>. That association led an effort with 44 other national organizations that signed on to a letter urging the administration to provide an additional $300 million in emergency funds for WIC to sustain the program through the first two weeks in November. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the most recent Defense Department survey of active-duty military spouses<\/a>, about 7% said they were currently using WIC benefits and 1% said they were using the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, previously known as food stamps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exact numbers have traditionally been difficult to track, however. Many advocates contend that more military families would be eligible for WIC if they would apply. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

WIC\u2019s eligibility criteria is more lenient than with SNAP, in which the Basic Allowance for Housing is used in calculating an applicant\u2019s income. Adding in the BAH makes it more difficult for military families living off post to qualify for SNAP. <\/p>\n\n\n\t