Indiana Governor Mike Braun announced on Nov. 10 that the state will distribute partial Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for November, ending a week of uncertainty for hundreds of thousands of Hoosiers reliant on federal food aid.
The decision comes amidst a federal government shutdown and a legal battle over the release of funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Contingency Fund.
While the Braun administration framed the move as a necessary step to provide relief, the announcement was met with immediate criticism from Democratic lawmakers, who accused the governor of failing to utilize state resources and downplaying the ongoing confusion and hardship faced by families.
The partial benefits for the program formerly known as ‘food stamps,’ began processing on Nov. 10. They were expected to be available on Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards starting Nov. 11. Gov. Braun, in his statement, welcomed the end of the federal gridlock while placing blame for the delay on his political rivals in Washington, D.C.
“After weeks of gridlock, it’s good to see some folks in D.C. finally come to their senses,” Braun said. “Senate Democrats held this up far too long, but they’ve finally relented. SNAP benefits are on the way, and Indiana is well-positioned to distribute them as soon as possible.”
Despite this, the path to issuing even partial benefits has been marked by complexity. According to a separate release from the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA), the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service issued new guidance requiring a complete recalculation of benefits for all 274,000 SNAP households in Indiana.
The new federal formula mandates that the maximum allotment for a household be reduced by 50%. Standard SNAP calculations assume households spend 30% of their net income on food, with benefits calculated by subtracting that amount from the maximum allotment. The FSSA acknowledged that this recalculation would delay November benefits by at least one week, even for the partial amounts.
This technical hurdle underscores the confusion and administrative challenges stemming from the federal shutdown. Unlike some other states, Indiana’s governor and state legislature did not take action to supplement SNAP with state dollars during the funding lapse, a point of sharp contention.
State Representative Ed DeLaney (D-Indianapolis) issued a statement that was sharply critical of the governor’s strategy.
“The governor has announced that partial SNAP payments will be made. He failed to note that these are not state dollars that will be distributed,” DeLaney said. “He failed to note that the state has contributed nothing to the solutions of this problem. He failed to note that there will likely be delays and confusion.”
DeLaney emphasized the human impact, stating, “Partial payments will not be enough to prevent families from going hungry. This mess will not be as easy to clean up as the governor is implying.”
He also pointed to efforts by local township trustees who have been funding food banks to bridge the gap.
“The governor would be much more helpful if he were doing the same. Instead, he blames one party among his former senate colleagues,” DeLaney said. “This would be a good time to act like a statesman.”
The Braun administration maintains that the state is prepared to issue the full SNAP benefit amount as soon as federal funding is fully restored. The FSSA stated it remains in close contact with federal partners and is prepared to respond quickly to any further policy changes.
For the hundreds of thousands of Hoosiers facing a gap in food assistance, the immediate reality is one of uncertainty. The state is directing those in need of immediate food assistance to call 2-1-1 or contact their local food bank for help.
The situation remains fluid, with the partial benefit distribution serving as a temporary stopgap. At the same time, the nation’s capital untangles its budgetary impasse and its consequences for the most vulnerable citizens.
Contact Multi-Media & Senior Sports Reporter Noral Parham at 317-762-7846. Follow him on Facebook and TikTok @HorsemenSportsMedia. For more news, click here.
Noral Parham is the multi-media & senior sports reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder, one of the oldest Black publications in the country. Prior to joining the Recorder, Parham served as the community advocate of the MLK Center in Indianapolis and senior copywriter for an e-commerce and marketing firm in Denver. He is also the owner and founder of Horsemen Sports Media.
